Academic or Otherwise
by mrhutchersonmellark
Summary: Joshua Hutcherson is a young Psychology professor at NYU when Charlotte Matthews takes his Psych 300 class. The Professor can't hold back his attraction for Charlotte, and they begin to see each other while trying to keep their secret from the school and the students. Romance, drama, comedic relief, AU, OC. **Now part 1 of a series! Part 2 coming in June 2015!**
1. Chapter 1

The Professor's Prada shoes snapped loudly against the floor as he walked down the hall towards his first lecture of the year. It was mid-August at NYU, and the fall semester was starting on a hot day. He reached up to his neck and slightly loosened his gray tie to cope with the heat as he reached the lecture hall. His hand paused on the doorknob briefly, then he opened it and sauntered into the hall. He didn't bother glancing at the students of his Psychology seminar, and instead stopped at his desk to place his designer briefcase down. He removed from it his lecture notes and a black dry erase marker, with which he turned to the board and wrote his name. Capping the marker he turned towards the class, and gazed around the room.

"This is Psychology 300 and I am Professor Hutcherson. This lecture will begin at seven pm sharp, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and if you are late you will not be allowed into my class." He paused for effect. "That being said, this class is a study of the thought process, focusing on the ability of decision making and what influences our choices. For example: you all made the decision to pursue a degree in Psychology, which lead you to this class. Was this a good decision, or a bad one? Most of you will agree that it was neither a good nor bad decision, but a necessary one." His gaze traced over the class, who were mostly nodding in agreement. "So your first assignment of the semester is to write a short essay on why this course is a good, bad or necessary decision. At the end of the semester, you will again write a similar paper on the decision, and we will see how many of you change your mind by the end of the term. Let's begin."

Charlotte Matthews sat in the very back of the lecture hall, her long brown hair covering her face. She kept her eyes on her notebook, scribbling notes down as fast as she could. The Professor was fast paced, and he did not pause often. Being a Psychology major was something she always aspired to, and this seminar was necessary in order to finish her last year and graduate. She was surprised, however, when the Professor strode into the room. He looked so young, and very well dressed. She didn't know designers very well, but she could tell when something was expensive, and everything on Professor Hutcherson was expensive, down to his very shoes. Charlotte learned quickly that his age was not something to judge him by. He was very knowledgeable about the subject matter, and even had an air of arrogance about him, as if all of this was beneath him. She realized he would not be an easy professor, and she would need to work very hard to pass his class. Charlotte was startled out of her thoughts when the professor stopped talking. He glanced at his watch, then up at the class.

"We're about halfway through tonight's lecture. Let's take a five minute break."

He strode out of the room, and the class broke into scattered conversation. Charlotte put her pen down with a sigh, her hand cramping. She reached into her purse and pulled out some lotion, which she massaged onto her aching hand. Looking around the room, she noticed many others doing the same.

"You might want to invest in a recorder."

She jumped and looked around, searching for whoever was speaking to her. It came from a man who was seated a few seats in front of her who was leaning back to talk to her. He was good looking, with a mop of dark blonde curls on his head and a pair of sharp blue eyes. She smiled at him, and he smiled back before extending his hand to introduce himself.

"Owen Holt."

She reached out and shook his hand, noting that it was warm and soft.

"Charlotte Matthews. Everyone calls me Charlie though."

Owen smiled again, his eyes sparkling.

"I'm not blocking your view if I sit here, right? I hate sitting by myself, but I don't really know anyone yet."

Charlie shook her head, reassuring him that it was fine.

"Not at all. And I don't know anyone either, so you're in good company."

He paused. "What do you think of the professor so far?"

She thought carefully before answering. "He's very...young. But he seems smart, and fast paced;

like he doesn't put up with any bullshit."

Owen laughed, which made her jump a little, and she looked at him curiously.

"Sorry, ha, its just, I've never heard anyone describe Hutcherson so accurately before. You must be good at making first judgments."

"You talk like you know him. Have you had his classes before?"

Shrugging, he continued. "Not exactly. I used to help him with grading and such. Kind of like an assistant; I worked with him for a few semesters, but then I needed to focus more on my other classes and didn't have the time. He's kind of an asshole to be honest, and you're right in thinking that he has zero patience. But he's extremely smart and doesn't have a problem with the students, granted that they work hard. I just really needed this class to graduate, and I decided I'd rather take it with someone I'm familiar with." He gestured at her notebook. "I see you take good notes though, so I'm sure he'll like you just fine." He smiled at her. "Although, it would probably be better if you didn't have carpal tunnel by tomorrow, so if you would like, I can send you the lecture later. I'm recording it." He pointed to a digital voice recorder.

Charlotte gave a sigh of relief. "That would be amazing. Thank you."

The Professor stalked back in, slamming the door behind him, effectively silencing the room. Owen winced. "I'll catch you after class; he hates people not paying attention." Owen winked at her and turned around, facing the front.

The Professor turned on the projector and flicked the lights off, then began lecturing on the physiology of the brain and where thoughts were processed. No longer needing to take notes, Charlie settled into her seat. It was dark and warm in the room, and her eyelids began to droop. She took a deep breath, trying to force herself awake. She had tossed and turned all night, resulting in a poor REM cycle and her inevitable tiredness. But no matter how hard she fought, her eyes were determined to close as Professor Hutcherson lectured on, his voice lulling her to sleep.

"Miss. Matthews."

Charlotte groaned, nuzzling her head into her jacket.

She heard a loud sigh.

"Miss. Matthews, I implore you. Wake. Up."

Charlotte's eyes flew open as she came to the realization of where she was, and who was speaking to her. She slowly sat up in her chair, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. Carefully, she turned to face the man who pulled her from her sleep. The Professor did not look happy, but she noticed that, thankfully, he had his briefcase in hand and the classroom was empty. The lecture was over for today, and Charlotte was speechless.

Professor Hutcherson stared down at her, his hazel eyes settling onto her brown ones.

"Miss. Matthews, I am not entirely sure as to _why_ you felt the need to fall asleep in my class, but believe me when I say it better not happen again. I will not tolerate laziness. I expect to see you here at seven pm sharp on Wednesday and wide awake. Am I understood?"

Charlotte stared; all she could manage was a weak nod. His eyes softened slightly, and stared at her for a moment longer. There was something other than her laziness that had caught his attention, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He rid himself of his thoughts, and straightened up.

All he could manage was, "Good."

And with that, he turned and stalked out of the lecture hall. Charlotte sat in shock for a few moments before gathering her things and quickly following suit. She can't believe she fell asleep. And on the first day! Her inner self was banging her head against the wall in disappointment, and she vowed to get more sleep tonight so as to avoid a repeat of today.

It was nearly 10:00 at night, and she had plenty of homework. She stepped outside, and began walking to her small apartment. It was only fifteen minute walk from the school, and she enjoyed walking on warm nights. Staring at the stars, she mulled today's events over in her head. All of her classes went over well, especially Psychology. Meeting Owen was great, he was cute too. But the Professor...damn, he was _really_ attractive. She startled herself with that thought. He was her professor for god's sake, she shouldn't even be thinking about him that way. Attractive or no, she needed to keep her distance. Lost in thought, she reached home quicker than she anticipated, and slowly climbed the steps to her door. Charlotte lived in an old house just off campus which had been converted into three apartments, two downstairs and one upstairs. She was lucky enough to rent the bottom left apartment, which saved her a trip up the stairs every night. It was small, only one bedroom, but it was home. It wasn't like she was used to anything much bigger anyways. The rest of the apartment consisted of a small kitchen that flowed into a living room. She had a small bathroom off the living room, and that was what made up her living space.

Charlotte was definitely beat, and she couldn't help thinking about Owen and how lucky she was to meet someone so nice on her first day of class. She didn't get to dwell on it long, though. She was already yawning, ready for bed again. Stepping over the threshold, she made her way to her room and collapsed onto the bed, resuming her sleep from before.

Thank you so much for reading! I'm going to try to upload a new chapter each Thursday by 6pm EST, and of course all constructive criticism is always welcome :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Charlotte had hit snooze three times before forcing herself out of bed. Glancing at the clock, she noticed that it was already half past nine. Despite her best efforts to get a decent sleep, she tossed and turned again, hardly getting more than two hours of good rest. Dragging her feet, she made her way to her small kitchen, and scooped some instant coffee into a mug. Adding some water from the tap, she popped it in the microwave and ate a banana while the coffee heated. The microwave beeped loudly and, snatching her coffee, she sat down at her desk and opened her laptop.

Like everything else Charlotte owned, her laptop was old and inherited. It was a cheap, green Dell that her parents had gotten her older sister for graduation. Her sister had long since bought a new one, and since Charlotte needed one for school she let her keep it. It no longer held a charge, and the screen had a crack in it, but Charlotte loved it and refused to save up to buy a new one. She checked her email, and noticed a new one with the subject "sleepy head":

**From:** oholt 

**To: **cmatthews 

**Subject: **Sleepy head

Charlie,

I hope you don't mind me emailing you. I looked you up on the school's computer, and may have used my professor's aid abilities to look at your student file and get your email. Anyways, I attached a copy of last night's lecture to this email. I saw that you fell asleep (so did Hutcherson), but he had gotten to you before I could and hurried me out the door. Also, I found a spare recorder in my apartment last night, so if you're interested, I wouldn't mind lending it to you. Email is an ancient form of communication, so here's my phone number. Text if you want to meet up and study sometime :)

Owen Holt

373-987-1437

Charlotte smiled at the email and sipped her coffee. At least she's met someone who's not only nice but helpful too. She downloaded the lecture, pulled her phone out of her purse and saved his number. Then, she typed out a text telling Owen that she got his email and would love to meet up. Closing her phone, she browsed through her other emails. She had one from her mom, who was badgering her for a phone call, one from her sister, and a few others from the school. After typing lengthy emails to both her sister and her mom, she stretched as her phone's text tone went off. Glancing at the screen, she noticed that Owen had replied saying that he had class until eleven, but they could meet up afterward and grab some lunch. He suggested picking up Subway and taking it to one of the school's parks, where they could eat and study for a while. Charlotte eagerly agreed, and offered to meet him at the restaurant. Glancing at her cell phone, noticing that it was already ten, and drained the rest of her coffee. After setting her mug in the sink she quickly jumped into the shower, finishing with barely enough time to get dressed. It was a hot day again, and she pulled on her favorite sundress. She wanted to look nice, and the dress was light and would keep her from overheating. By 10:45 she was locking her door and heading off to meet Owen.

Less than an hour later, Charlotte was sitting in the park with Owen, eating a chicken flat bread sandwich. Despite the heat, there was a light breeze to take the edge off and keep things comfortable. After they finished their lunch, Owen pulled out the spare recorder he mentioned in the email.

"Here. No more note taking for you," he said with a smile.

"Thank you so much, you don't know how useful this will be. My wrist is still sore from last night." She stowed the recorder in her bag, and pulled out her notes to study.

"Speaking of last night, Hutcherson didn't rip you a new one did he? Like I said, I tried to stick

around, but he showed me the door. I was kinda worried, he can be pretty ruthless sometimes."

Charlotte played with her hair, still embarrassed that she fell asleep.

"No...well he was adamant that I wake up, and he did lecture me about sleeping in class. But it

wasn't too bad. Just embarrassing. After I promised it wouldn't happen again, he just stormed out of the room. Then I went home and kinda...fell back asleep."

Owen laughed. "Well, at least your sleep wasn't interrupted so badly that you couldn't fall asleep once you got home." He laughed some more.

She smacked him on the arm with her notebook and made a sour face.

"Hey! If you had gotten as little sleep as I had the night before, Hutcherson's lecture would have

put you to sleep too!" She pretended to be upset, but couldn't keep herself from laughing.

Something caught her eye, and she looked up. She suddenly stopped laughing and blanched, noticing who was standing on the path directly behind them. She didn't immediately recognize the Professor until it was too late. He was dressed in athletic clothes, and it appeared that he had stopped for a drink at the water fountain when he heard what she said. Now he was walking towards them. Owen, noticing Charlotte's face, had also stopped laughing and had turned around to see who she was looking at. Seeing the Professor, he quickly turned back around, pretending to study Charlotte's notes. Quickly looking for an escape, Charlotte began gathering up their trash from lunch and stood up, intending to go throw it out, but she wasn't quick enough.

"Good afternoon Miss Matthews. Mr. Holt." The Professor glared in his direction as Owen muttered something that sounded like 'good afternoon'. He returned his attention to Charlotte, and it didn't escape her when his eyes quickly drifted up and down her body. Her dress may have been a little low-cut on top, but she was comfortable and looked great in it. Apparently, the professor agreed because he was suddenly smiling at her, and Charlotte felt her cheeks heat up.

"Miss Matthews, I hope you slept well last night. I wouldn't want my boring lectures putting you to sleep again."

Charlotte flushed, searching for something to say back, but she was at a loss. He smirked at her,

then glanced at her notes that Owen was pretending to study. Reaching over, he snatched up her

notebook and briefly read it, then handed it to her.

"Continue to take notes like these Miss Matthews, and you will pass my class no problem. See

you tomorrow night." He put headphones back in his ears and jogged off, leaving Charlotte speechless.

Owen looked at her, but Charlotte was staring after the Professor, stunned.

"What the hell was that about?"

She shook her head, still shocked.

"I haven't the slightest idea."


	3. Chapter 3

It was already one in the morning by the time Charlotte closed her laptop. She stretched, satisfied with the amount of homework she managed to complete. Surprisingly, she wasn't tired in the least bit, but she needed to sleep in order to stay awake in her classes; she wasn't falling asleep in Hutcherson's class again if she could help it. So she decided to go for a run in the park, hoping that it would tire her out.

It didn't take her long to find the park that her and Owen had eaten in earlier that day, and she started jogging to her music. She kept one ear bud out in order to hear her surroundings. Even though she was on campus, she still wanted to hear if someone tried to sneak up on her or if a random bicycler came up behind her. But tonight, the park was quiet. She passed one person leaving the park on her way in, and after that all she saw were a few lazy raccoons fishing in the garbage for a late night snack. She was surprised then, when she reached the center of the park and heard arguing. Slowing to a walk, she took out her other ear bud, trying to find the source of the noise. Several feet to her right, she spotted what appeared to be a couple under a park lamp, engaged in a heated argument. Charlotte was about to put her ear bud back in and move on, when she recognized the man's voice. Curious, she moved a bit closer so she could hear.

"And you _what_, Marie? You thought I wouldn't notice?! I may be a busy man but I am _not _naive!"

A woman, presumably Marie, yelled back.

"That's exactly it, Josh! You wouldn't have noticed because you're always so _fucking_ busy. It's always _work _this and _the college _that! I wasn't going to wait around forever!"

Even from her hiding place, Charlotte could sense the Professor seething.

"So you're solution is to FUCK some other guy? In one of my cars no less! Jesus, do you even _have_ any boundaries? Or morals, for that matter! You should have just left me, for Christ's sake."

"For your information, I do have boundaries. And I have limits, too! And you pushed both when you decided that your fucking job was way more important than me. What did you think you'd accomplish by meeting me here tonight? Did you expect to win me back? Hell no! You want me to 'just leave'? Fine!"

The women turned to leave, then just as quickly turned back and threw something on the ground at his feet. It clattered when it hit the cement, and she stalked off. He stood for a few moments staring after her, presumably in shock, then he shoved his hands in his pockets and left. Charlotte stood there, stunned and embarrassed by what she had just witnessed. She started to leave, but her curiosity got the better of her again and she slowly approached the park lamp. Crouching down, she searched the ground until she found it. It was a necklace; a small diamond pendant on a fine, silver (and now broken) chain. Slowly picking it up, she examined it. It was beautiful, it sparkled even in the dim park light. Charlotte determined that it must be worth a fortune, and decided it couldn't be left here for someone to steal. Pocketing it, she took it home with her, resolving to figure out what to do with it later.

It was roughly two in the morning when Charlotte stumbled into her apartment. She set her phone to silent, and slept soundly the rest of the night. She woke up, comfortable and rested around one, quickly dressed, and rushed to campus. Her Human Relations course started at two, and she barely made it. Charlotte was deeply distracted throughout the lecture, and was extremely thankful for Owen's recorder; she was sure she missed several important points. During the whole class, her thoughts kept drifting back to the necklace which was tucked safely inside her bag. She wanted to return it to Professor Hutcherson. But at the same time, doing so would mean having to explain how she knew it belonged to him. On the other hand, she couldn't keep it. What was she to do with a broken necklace? Even if she got it fixed, it would feel wrong wearing something that he had given his lover, and she wasn't about to sell it. No...she needed to return it. She sighed deeply and began to compose an explanation to the Professor. This was not going to be easy.

Charlotte hurried to class, intending to get there before the Professor. Her plan was to simply leave the necklace on his desk, that way he wouldn't know who put it there. But her heart sank when she was the first student to arrive and the professor was already there, furiously writing notes on the board. He looked worn, exhausted, and just plain pissed off, no doubt a result of last night. He stopped writing momentarily when she accidentally slammed the door behind her. Glancing at her, he nodded.

"Good evening, Miss Matthews."

Charlotte swallowed hard, then nodded back.

"Professor."

He gave her a small smile, then slowly turned back to the board. Charlotte shook herself out of her daze, and quickly went to her seat. She pulled out her supplies for class, and pretended to study until Owen arrived. They spoke briefly, but didn't want to talk too much about yesterdays encounter with the Professor. He was about to turn towards the front of the room when he turned back.

"Hey, Charlie."

She glanced up from her notes.

"Hmm?"

Owen glanced around to make sure the Professor was still writing on the board.

"Is it just me, or does he seem in a foul mood? You don't think it was from yesterday, do you?"

Charlotte glanced at the Professor, who seemed to be writing even more furiously. She wanted to explain everything to Owen, but for now decided to feign ignorance.

"Jeez, yeah. He does seem pissed...I think it's something else though. He doesn't seem like the type to get pissed over something small like that. Let's just hope he doesn't take it out on us."

He did.

Professor Hutcherson ranted and lectured the whole class period without a break, and randomly called on students to answer questions. No one dared to even pull out their cell phone to check the time. He called on Charlotte twice, but thankfully she knew the answers. She was progressively getting more and more nervous as the class went on, knowing she now had to meet him after class to return his property. She considered backing out of it and reverting back to her original plan, but she was determined. She did not want to hang onto the necklace any longer than was necessary. Finally, at 10:00 pm the class was over. No one hung around, in fact it seemed like everyone was out the door the moment he dismissed class. Charlotte took her time collecting her things as Owen shouldered his bag. They were the last two in the room other than the Professor, and Owen started to leave, but before he got to far, he turned to her.

"Hey Charlie, you want me to wait?"

She smiled at him, but shook her head.

"No, thanks anyways Owen. I need to speak to the Professor about a few things. I have some questions for him about the homework."

They both nervously glanced at the Professor, who seemed to be violently erasing the board.

"Well, good luck. Hopefully he doesn't bite your head off with the mood he's in. I'll text you tomorrow. Maybe we can study again?"

Charlotte nodded and agreed, happy to meet up with him again. They said their good nights, and he exited, leaving Charlotte alone with the Professor. Slowly, she walked up to his desk, as if approaching a caged animal.

"Um, Professor Hutcherson?"

He turned, and seeing it was her, gave her a weak smile and visibly relaxed. He looked exhausted, and after last night _and_ tonight's lecture, she couldn't quite blame him.

"Yes. What can I help you with Miss Matthews?"

Charlotte took a deep breath and cleared her throat, hardening her resolve. Slowly, she set down her notebook, reached into her bag, and pulled out the necklace, setting it on the desk in front of him. She braced herself as his eyes settled on it, and the tension in the air became so thick that she could cut it with a knife. Finally, he spoke.

"Where did you get this?" He said softly.

"I...I found it. In the park. I was running last night and it was on the ground."

He carefully reached out and picked up the necklace, running his thumb over the small pendant. He still wouldn't look at her, and she was becoming increasingly nervous.

"Would you care to explain how you know this is mine?"

This was it, the part she was dreading. He was bound to be angry that she eavesdropped. She took another deep breath and closed her eyes momentarily, attempting to calm herself.

"I overheard...I didn't mean to, I just happened to stumble upon you and your...friend. I didn't know it was you at first, initially I just heard an argument. But then I recognized your voice, and I saw her throw the necklace before she left and...I'm sorry. I just felt like it needed to be returned to you."

He was silent for a moment while Charlotte's heart pounded in her chest. Then, he laughed quietly. But it seemed sad.

"You recognized my voice after attending just _one _of my classes?"

Charlotte blushed, surprised that he was focusing on that instead of her listening in on his

personal argument.

"I...yes. Is that funny somehow?"

Professor Hutcherson laughed again, louder this time, and shook his head, pocketing the necklace. He looked at her, and for the first time, Charlotte really noticed his eyes: hazel. She thought they were beautiful, but she kept the thought to herself.

"No Miss Matthews, nothing funny about it. Just astonishing, really." He paused. "This necklace is worth a lot of money, you must have known that. Why didn't you sell it? Or keep it? Surely you could use the money?"

Charlotte flushed, suddenly angry that he would assume that about her finances, or that she would sell something that wasn't even hers. She decided that this conversation had gone on long enough; she was not about to discuss money with her Professor.

"I resent that, Professor. I would never sell something when I knew it wasn't mine. I'm just not the type. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to be going. I still have to walk home and it's getting late."

With that, she turned on her heel and stomped out, leaving him stunned behind her. How pretentious of him to assume that she needed money! Of course she needed money but she didn't want others, let alone her Professor, to notice it and start offering her charity. Fuming, she decided to run home in an attempt to burn off some of her frustration. As a result, she reached home in half the time, breathless from her run.

It took her hours to fall asleep, she was still so irritated with him. Charlotte had grown up without money, and she had lived her life with very little of it. She had become accustomed to independently supporting herself, and never accepting help, not even from her family. She also made it a priority to not let people see how badly her finances were, and the fact that the Professor was able to see right through that really pissed her off. Eventually, she nodded off, her dreams tormented with dark haired Professors and diamond necklaces.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Charlotte paced around her living room with her phone in her hand, trying to come up with a reply for Owen. She had a headache, and her AC had broken last night, so it was sweltering in her apartment. Owen had texted her 10 minutes prior, asking how things went after class with Hutcherson. She desperately wanted to tell him about everything that had happened, but that would involve so much explaining, and she didn't feel right telling someone else about the fight she experienced in the park. It was too personal. She instead decided to simply tell him that everything went fine and that he answered her questions, even if he was a little snippy. Her little flip phone chirped in her pocket, Owen quickly responding to her text.

**Owen: **No surprise there. He must like you if he actually answered you're questions though. He usually tells the students that they should have just payed attention to begin with. Anyway, what are you up to today? Think you could fit some study time in your busy schedule? :)

**Charlotte: **You really think he likes me? Idk why, but that surprises me...and yes :) I have plenty of time. As long as we go somewhere with A.C. Mine broke last night (probably from over use) and I'm melting in here. Where do you want to meet?

While waiting for Owen's reply, Charlotte threw on some jean shorts and a white bohemian shirt, pairing it with her leather sandals. She opted to leave her hair down for now, but kept a hair tie on her wrist just in case it got too hot. Checking her appearance in the mirror, she decided she looked well enough for public and, grabbing her bag, decided to wait outside where it was slightly cooler until she heard from Owen. She had just locked her apartment when her phone chirped again.

**Owen: **Your AC broke? Jeez, of all the days. Where do you live? I can come over and find the problem with it, and we can decide where to eat while I fix it. I'm pretty handy some times ;)

What the hell was the winky face for? Then she realized what Owen had asked her. _Oh no. _Charlotte stared at her phone. He wanted to come by, and her place was a mess. Her apartment smelled, and she was pretty sure there was something growing at the bottom of her dirty clothes hamper. _But he might fix my AC..._she thought. She decided the pros far outweighed the cons, and told Owen her address. He replied, stating that he wasn't too far from her and he would be there in ten minutes. _Ten minutes!_ Charlotte jumped up and ran to the door, fumbling with her keys.

Bursting into her apartment, she opened every window that would budge, and hastily put her dishes in the sink. She then picked up any trash, and dashed into her room. After picking up all the dirty clothes, she stashed her hamper in her closet, messily made her bed in record time, and sprayed everything with Febreze. She was just lighting a candle by her computer when her doorbell rang. Blowing out the match, she tossed it in the trash which she realized was (regretfully) full. _Fuck, _she thought. Deciding that it couldn't be helped, she ran to the door and opened it. Owen stood on her porch, examining the flowers that her neighbors kept in pots along the railing. When the door opened, he noticed her standing there and walked towards her.

"Hey Charlie. Why are you out of breath?"

Charlotte mentally cringed, then took a deep breath.

"Oh, I was just...in the bedroom when you rang the bell and I kinda...ran across the apartment

to answer the door." She mentally smacked herself for such a lame excuse and for not keeping her apartment clean to begin with.

Owen laughed at her regardless. "I can't tell you how many times I've done that. So, where's the

broken AC? You _are_ gonna let me in, right?"

"Oh! Sorry! Yeah, come in. Sorry it's such a mess."

Charlotte moved aside to let him in. He walked in with a box of tools, taking a good look around. After spotting the unit in her front window, he made a bee line straight for it.

"It smells good in here," he commented. Charlotte thanked the Gods of Yankee Candle for inspiring her Mother to send her the candle as a birthday present. At least it was masking her apartment's natural musk. He examined the unit. "Man, this thing is ancient. No wonder it shit out on you. Well, you may as well have a seat. This is gonna take a bit."

She was about to sit down, when she realized she should at least offer the guy a drink. He was doing her a huge favor after all. She asked him if he wanted a glass of water, and when he accepted she grabbed two glasses from the kitchen and used her Brita filter to fill them. After handing him his glass, she sat down in her computer chair with a sigh and watched him take the front panel off her prehistoric air conditioner. They talked for roughly an hour, while he examined various wires and cleaned a few parts. She was just beginning to think about how great a guy Owen was when he snapped the front panel back on and stood up.

"That should do it," he said proudly. "Lets plug 'er in and see if she works."

He plugged the AC back into the wall and cranked it to high. Hot air blew in from the outside, right into his and Charlotte's faces. Owen quickly reached over and turned it off, his face sweating.

"Shit. I guess this thing is beyond repair. Sorry Charlie, looks like you need a new one."  
Her shoulders sank, knowing that she would never be able to afford a new one. She smiled at Owen sadly anyway, thanking him for trying.

"We've been in here too long, lets go get something to eat. I'm starving anyway. And since I couldn't follow through on fixing your unit, it's my treat."

Charlotte began to protest; she really didn't like other people paying for her. But Owen insisted, and she finally gave in. He took her to a little Chinese restaurant by his place which had great food. It was also really cheap, which made Charlotte feel better about him paying. After lunch, Owen asked Charlotte if she wanted to do a little studying.

"Actually, if you don't mind, I want to run to the store first. I'm going to need a window fan now that I know my AC is permanently dead."

They walked up to the closest home improvement store, and picked out a decent fan that wasn't too expensive. It had started to get late by the time they were done, so Owen agreed to walk her back to her apartment and they took a rain-check for studying a different day. The sun was setting when they reached Charlotte's place, and thankfully the temperature had started to drop. Charlotte was just about to open her door when Owen spoke up.

"Hey Charlie, listen. I was wondering...would you like to go out sometime?"

He appeared nervous, and Charlotte had been hoping he would ask her out. But she decided to play it off like she didn't know what he was talking about and tease him a little.

"Like today? Sure Owen, I like hanging out with you."

She instantly felt bad, because now he looked even _more _nervous.

"No, I mean...like a date. I want to take you to dinner. Can we do that?"

Charlotte smiled. She really liked Owen, and she loved that he was willing to be more

than friends. She decided to stop teasing him, and happily got on board with a date.

"A date? Yeah, I'd really like that. Just let me know when you want to go out."

His face broke into a smile, and he hugged her enthusiastically. Then he reluctantly said goodnight, and hopped off the porch. Charlotte laughed, closing the door behind her. The first thing she did was set up her new fan. The breeze it created felt great, and cooled her down much more than she was expecting. She heated up some dinner, and planned to finish up some homework before bed. It was still early, but she was determined to get some actual sleep tonight.

After she ate, she sat at her computer and opened her bag to pull out her notebook for Hutcherson's class, when she realized it wasn't there. Confused, she got up and searched her room, then her desk, and finally her dirty clothes hamper just in case it somehow ended up there when she cleaned. But it couldn't be found anywhere. Defeated, she slumped in her chair, trying to remember the last time she had it. It was with her through all of her classes yesterday, and she had it after Hutcherson's class... Suddenly, she sat straight up when she remembered. Last night. She had set it down on the Professor's desk in order to pull the necklace out of her bag. She must have forgotten it in her haste to leave the room, and she _had _to get it back. All her notes were in there, and she absolutely needed it for her homework.

Groaning, she quickly texted Owen, explaining that she somehow managed to leave her notes in class, and asking him if the classroom would still be open. He replied that it should be, and offered to go with her, which she declined. It wasn't far from her apartment, and it would only take a few minutes. Standing back up, she turned on her porch light and walked outside, noticing that the cool down had been temporary and it had gotten more humid since Owen had left.

She was halfway to the school when she heard thunder overhead. She cursed herself for not bringing her umbrella, and hurried to the school. It was already 9:30, and she was hoping she could find a janitor or someone to open up the classroom if it was locked. She reached the room, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was open, but the lights were off. Using her phone for light, she walked in and searched the desk but couldn't find her notebook anywhere. She was about to give up and go home when the lights flicked on.

"Can I help you with something?"

Charlotte stiffened. She knew exactly who was behind her, and he was the last person she

wanted to see right now. She was still irritated from the night before. Taking a deep breath, she slowly turned around. Professor Hutcherson was leaning against the door frame, his arms folded across his chest and his tie loose. Charlotte's breath hitched when she noticed how sexy he looked, but she shook her head clear and focused on the task at hand.

"My notebook. I left it here last night after I...after we talked."

He smiled at her.

"Blue, spiral bound notebook filled with notes in pink ink?"

_He went through it again! _Charlotte glared at him, but nodded.

"It's in my office. This way."


	5. Chapter 5

He shut off the lights and turned, walking down the hall. Charlotte hurried to catch up, but walked several paces behind him. They walked in silence, Charlotte trying to ignore how perfect his ass looked when he walked.

_What the fuck!_she thought, and forced herself to look anywhere else. Finally he stopped at a door with a name plate that said Professor J. R. Hutcherson. Charlotte briefly wondered what the 'R' stood for as he unlocked and opened the door, holding it open for her. He gestured her inside, then followed and closed the door behind him. She gave him a look.  
"What? I like my door closed. Is that a problem?"  
She shook her head. And looked around. So many books...her eyes finally settled on his desk, and she remembered why she was there.  
"My notebook?"  
He smirked and sat down in his chair, opening a desk drawer. He pulled out the missing notebook, but before he handed it to her, he browsed through it again. This irritated Charlotte to no end, particularly because she had a feeling he was doing it to piss her off.  
"Miss Matthews, can I ask why you suddenly stopped taking such thorough notes?"  
Charlotte blinked. She didn't know what she was expecting him to say, but it wasn't that.  
"Well, you lecture very fast Professor. So Owen lent me a tape recorder."  
Professor Hutcherson looked up from her notebook and shut it. His eyes were locked to her's, and it made her slightly uncomfortable.  
"Owen Holt? The one I saw you with a few days prior?"  
Charlotte wondered why this was of any concern of the Professor's. Surly he didn't get involved with his student's love lives, he must be too busy for that. But she nodded regardless.  
"Yes. He sits in front of me in class. Why?"  
Shaking his head, the Professor frowned and leaned back in his chair, seeming very deep in thought. Things suddenly became very cliché when rain began pounding on the window and thunder cracked loudly overhead. Charlotte sighed.  
"Please Professor, my notebook? I need to get home, all my windows are open."  
Shaking out of his daze, he sat up and handed her notebook back.  
"All your windows are open? In this heat?"  
Stowing her notebook in her bag, she replied.  
"Yes. My air conditioner is broken, so I'm trying to keep a breeze going through my apartment. I should've planned better though, everything will be wet now." Begrudgingly, she decided she should probably thank him. "Thanks for holding on to this. I thought it was gone."  
He stood to see her out, and started to say something, but hesitated and changed his mind.  
"It was no problem Miss Matthews, try to be more careful in the future."  
Charlotte nodded and was halfway down the hall, when he called to her.  
"Miss Matthews! Wait!" He closed his door and jogged up to her. "Do you need a ride? It's really coming down out there."  
Charlotte gaped at him. How can this man go from rude, to cocky, to sweet and concerned all in such a short span of time? Regardless, holding herself to being self-sufficient, she declined, lying that she had an umbrella and would be fine. He seemed a little disappointed, and bade her goodnight, slowly walking back to his office.  
Charlotte quickly regretted turning him down when she stepped outside though. It was dark and pouring, with frequent lightning and thunder. She didn't mind thunderstorms, but she knew it wasn't exactly safe walking in one. For a moment, she contemplated calling Owen. But when she opened her phone to do so, she saw it was already 10:30. Embracing the fact that she would be soaked within minutes, she stepped out from under the awning and started walking.  
She was wrong when she thought she would be soaked within minutes. It was actually within seconds. Looking down, she instantly regretted her attire choice. Her white shirt was soaked through and her pink bra was visible through the fabric. To make matters worse, her jean shorts were heavy now that they were full of rain, and her feet kept slipping in her sandals, making it difficult to walk. She was about 1/3suprd/sup of the way to her apartment when she gave up and took off her sandals. It was much easier to walk now, and she was able to walk faster. She didn't get far, though. A car pulled up along side her and beeped it's horn.  
_Oh no,_ she thought. _Please don't let me get murdered tonight. I still have to go on a date with Owen._  
Ignoring the car, she walked faster. She casually reached in her bag and wrapped her hand around the can of pepper spray she carried everywhere with her. But the car continued to follow her, then the passenger side window rolled down.  
"Charlotte!"  
She stopped dead in her tracks. _No fucking way._ Turning, she took in a sleek, black Audi A8. And behind the driver's seat...  
"Get in! Your going to catch your death out here!" the Professor yelled.  
Charlotte tipped her head back and asked the gods why the emfuck/em they insisted on her always running into the Professor outside of school. He was right though, and reluctantly she stepped into his car. She felt a momentary pang of guilt when her wet body squeaked against the leather seats, but then she reminded herself that he insisted and that she didn't really care. After she closed the door, he turned on the light and reached into his backseat, pulling out a towel.  
"Here, I keep a spare in case I forget mine when I work out."  
Charlotte accepted it wordlessly, and slowly started to dry her hair. Suddenly she stopped, remembering her shirt and pink bra. She could feel his eyes on her, and slowly she wrapped the towel around herself, pretending to be cold and effectively covering herself. The Professor cleared his throat and turned the light off, then pulled away from the curb. It was silent for a moment.  
"You have an umbrella, huh? Why didn't you just accept my offer to begin with? It would have saved you from being soaked."  
Charlotte huffed and stared out the window. Then thought better of it and turned towards him.  
"I don't like relying on other people. Least of all, my Professors. I don't want other students to get the wrong idea."  
Even in the dark, she could see his eyebrows rise.  
"The wrong idea? You think people would assume we're fucking just because I gave you a ride?"  
She gaped at his blatancy, then closed her mouth. As much as she wanted to deny it, she was turned on by the simple suggestion of having sex with him. She felt her cheeks flush, and she crossed her legs, trying to hide her sudden nervousness.  
"That's exactly what they'd think. You'd be surprised how fast word travels."  
He was silent for a moment.  
"Where do you live?"  
She told him the address.  
"I know it. We'll be there in just a second."  
He was right. Within minutes, they pulled up in front of her apartment. She wasn't expecting to feel the regret of getting home so soon. He put the car into park, and waited for her to get out. Instead, she rolled up the towel and handed it to him.  
"Thanks for the ride. And the towel, although I feel like it wasn't worth it since I'll be soaked again the moment I step out."  
Cocking his head, the Professor stared at her. She knew he could still see her bra, but at this point she no longer cared.  
"You're right. I have an umbrella. Let me walk you to your door."  
He grabbed his umbrella and stepped out before she could protest. Realizing it would be pointless to argue, she gave in and let him escort her to the door. It was late, and all of her agitation had finally left her, being replaced by exhaustion. She decided that she should be polite, and thank him again. Unlocking her door, she turned to him before stepping inside.  
"Thank you again, Professor. It may have bruised my pride, but I really do appreciate the ride."  
He smiled at her, and reached for her hand. Bringing it to his lips, he lightly kissed her fingers.  
"It was my pleasure, Miss Matthews."  
Smirking, he dropped her hand, popped up his umbrella, and jogged out to his car. Then, he was gone. Charlotte stood in her doorway, stunned. _What the hell?_ She thought. She was confused, but she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't flattered. She knew she had one of those dumb smiles on her faces, even though she was cold and soaked. Stepping back into her apartments, she decided to shower when suddenly she remembered all her windows. "Shit!" she yelled, and slammed her apartment door, rushing to close her windows and clean up all the water.


	6. Chapter 6

p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;"span style="color: #000000;"Joshua Hutcherson was deep in thought as he rode the elevator up to his apartment. He didn't know what he was doing, or what he should be doing for that matter. He had just gone through a nasty breakup with Marie, but at the same time he was completely enamored with Charlotte Matthews. He didn't even know what it was about her that had him so infatuated; although when he thought about it, audacious and sensuous came to mind.../spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"Shaking his head, he stepped off the elevator and into his apartment. It was modern and masculine; just enough room for him and a guest with two bedrooms, two baths, a large living room and an open kitchen complete with wet bar. Immediately after getting through the door, he made a bee-line straight for the bar and poured himself a glass of bourbon. Downing it, he poured another, and sipped it while staring at the street below./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"The Professor was at a loss. He had no problem admitting his level of attraction to Charlotte, but he didn't know how to proceed. Or if he even should. She was his student, and the school was very, emvery/em clear on how it felt towards student/teacher relationships. But the risk of it made him want her more. Stepping away from the window, he tossed back the rest of his drink and placed it in the sink, then made his way to his laptop./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"He logged onto the school's web page, and brought up Charlotte's student file. Charlotte's smiling student photo popped up in the left hand corner, followed by all kinds of academic information. He had access to all her grades, past schools, email, home address, birth date and social security number, and below that.../spanspan style="color: #000000;"emoh/em/spanspan style="color: #000000;". Contact information. He knew her email address was here, but he wasn't expecting her phone number. Reaching into his pocket, he grasped his cell phone, debating on saving the number./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"emNo,/em/spanspan style="color: #000000;" he thought./spanspan style="color: #000000;"em I need to make sure the feeling is mutual first/em/spanspan style="color: #000000;"./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"Shutting his laptop, the Professor stood up and began pacing. Slowly, an idea formed in his mind on how to get Charlotte Matthews where he wanted her. It was a risk, but he was confident it would work. Feeling better knowing his next course of action, he loosened his tie and prepared for bed./spanbr /br / span style="color: #000000;"Her carpet was soaked./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"Charlotte's feet made a delightful /spanspan style="color: #000000;"emsquelch /em/spanspan style="color: #000000;"noise when she got out of bed the next morning. She sighed, agitated that not only did she need a new air conditioner, she now had to call a business to come clean the carpet. The living room had laminate flooring, so all she had to do was mop that up last night. Nothing else was damaged, except her new fan which now had a crack in it after the wind blew it out of the window. Thankfully, it still worked well enough./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"It was Friday, and she was thankful that she was able to sleep in. She had no classes till seven and after she cleaned up last night, she was able to finish up that short paper for Hutcherson and submit it before midnight. She had barely made the deadline, and she knew she rushed the conclusion. Sighing, she vowed to do better next time and hoped that Hutcherson would take it easy on her./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"She was able to get someone in to clean the rug, which was great because the heat was back and the last thing she needed was something growing under the carpet too. After the company left, she got a text from Owen, asking her if they could go out that night before class. He said that there was a restaurant close to campus that he had been wanting to try, and he figured they could go try it together. Charlotte was adventurous enough to try anything new, so she agreed to meet him there at five. After closing her phone though, she realized she didn't have much to wear. Deciding that there was no sense in worrying about it now, she threw on whatever looked decent and headed out early./spanbr /br / span style="color: #000000;"Her date with Owen had gone well, and the food was just as good as Owen had promised. By the time they were done, it was 6:30. Owen announced that he needed to go home for his books, and Charlotte decided to head to class to avoid being late. Better to be early and not locked out of class./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"She definitely didn't have to worry about being late, though, she was there even before the Professor. Sitting on the floor, she put her ear buds in and closed her eyes. Her music was always relaxing, and she had to fight to stay awake; she was still tired after last night. Just as she was about to nod off, someone nudged her foot. Her eyes flashed open and she ripped her ear buds out, looking to see who had touched her. Looking up, she was relieved, irritated, and happy all at once to see Professor Hutcherson laughing at her. Standing up, she stowed her music player in her bag and narrowed her eyes at him./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;""Getting a head start on your nap, Miss Matthews?"/spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"Glaring at him, she adjusted her bag./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;""I didn't sleep much last night. Between your paper and cleaning my apartment, I was up pretty late."/spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"He laughed again and unlocked the door, ushering her into the dark classroom. He walked straight to his desk and Charlotte hovered by the door, searching for the light switch. He looked at her, desperately feeling around for the switch, and decided that this was the perfect time to test the waters./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;""So, I guess I'm to blame for you not getting the proper amount of rest. I kept you from getting home to close your windows, and I kept you up working on my assignment. Somehow, I'm proud of the fact that I can already keep you up all night without trying."/spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"Charlotte froze and gaped at him, completely shocked that he would flirt with her so openly. At the same time, she liked how cocky he was acting. She was always attracted to confidence, and the Professor was in no shortage of that. Giving up on the lights, she raised her eyebrows and walked closer towards him, deciding to play back. This was exactly the reaction the Professor was hoping for./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;""And what makes you think you have the ability to keep me up all night?"/spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"Even though the lights were off, she could sense his demeanor change, and he slowly began to walk towards her. She backed up to keep distance between them, but her back hit the wall and he quickly closed the gap. He didn't touch her, but there was only about half an inch in between their bodies, and she could feel his breath on her face./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;""Is that a challenge, Miss Matthews? Because I am more than willing to accept it."/spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"Charlotte gasped, unable to straighten out her thoughts. She could tell he was just as aroused as she was, but she couldn't bring herself to affirm that/span span style="color: #000000;"yes, that /spanspan style="color: #000000;"emwas/em/spanspan style="color: #000000;" a challenge. He stayed like that a moment longer, then reached up. She didn't know why, but she flinched. Reaching above her, he flicked on the lights, and took a step back. The rest of the class would be arriving any minute, and they couldn't be found in such a compromising position. He had just turned around and began to walk back to his desk, when Owen walked in the door and saw Charlotte./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;""Hey Charlie! What's...woah what's wrong?"/spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"She looked at Owen and realized her face must be super red./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;""Oh, Owen...hey. Nothing, I'm fine. Just really...really hot today, isn't it?"/spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"He nodded, but still looked a little concerned. She decided she better be more convincing, so she added a smile, linked her arm through his and steered him towards their seats in the back./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;""So! I'm glad to see you made it back! Did you ever get that paper finished? I was up all night!"/spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"She knew she was laying it on pretty thick, and she turned to look at the Professor as she walked up the steps to her spot. He had his hands on the desk glaring daggers at her back, but was smirking non-the-less as if she were unbelievable. She quirked her eyebrow at him, put a little extra swing into her hips, and began talking enthusiastically to Owen about how much she enjoyed their date./spanbr / span style="color: #000000;"Part of her felt guilty; she knew she could never be with Owen now. The Professor had her way too interested, and she was eager to play his game. But she was going to make him come to her. Looking past Owen, she caught the Professor's eye and gave him a small nod. He smiled, pleased that although things didn't go exactly as he planned, it had still worked out in his favor. To him, that nod meant one thing and her message was clear: Game on. He chuckled to himself as he turned towards the board./spanspan style="color: #000000;"em Very well, Miss Matthews/em/spanspan style="color: #000000;", he thought. /spanspan style="color: #000000;"emGame on/em/spanspan style="color: #000000;"./span/span/span/p 


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Charlotte's laptop screen flickered dangerously as she tilted the screen, threatening to shut down. It had been acting funny ever since it rained into her apartment, and she feared that it somehow got water damage. She noticed that as long as she didn't move it _too_ much, it tended to work ok. Friday night and Saturday morning had passed by without incident. She hadn't heard much from Owen, and the Professor was keeping his distance.

Charlotte was unsure if this was a good or bad thing. Either he misinterpreted her the other day, or he was preparing to pounce. She had to admit to herself that the latter was more appealing. It had taken all her strength to resist going to him after class or trying to contact him. As hard as it was, she was still determined to make him come to her. She was just about to shut down the computer when a new email popped up. Initially, she thought it was from the school. Then she noticed the address and the subject matter.

**To:** cmatthews 

**From:** jhutcherson 

**Subject: **Assignment

Miss Matthews,

Please see me immediately regarding your most recent assignment. Contact me to set up an appointment date at your earliest convenience.

Regards,

Professor J. R. Hutcherson

Department of Psychology

New York University

Charlotte squirmed in her seat, excited that he finally took her bait. She seriously wanted to reply right away, but she made was going to make him wait. She had a feeling he was sitting in front of a laptop somewhere, nervously waiting for her response. To pass the time, she got up from her seat and tidied up her apartment. It was good work, and she finally had the time to do so.

As she cleaned, she contemplated what to do about Owen. He was a great friend, and was a love interest at one point...but now the Professor trumped him and had her much more interested. She didn't want to hurt him, and she wanted to remain friends, but she didn't know how to bring it up. As if on cue, her phone chirped. It was Owen, asking her if she had fun on their date. Truthfully, she did; and she told him so. He seemed pleased, and Charlotte wondered how she was going to tell him that it wouldn't happen again.

She decided she'd stay busy and keep her distance for now until she figured out what to do. In the meantime, she had a certain Professor to make an appointment with. Checking her phone, she noticed it had been at least an hour since she received his email. _I better put him out of his misery,_ she thought. Sitting back down at her laptop, she typed out a reply, telling him she would be on campus that afternoon and could meet around six. At 5:30, Charlotte was walking out the door to discuss her "assignment" with the Professor. She had just locked her door and turned to leave, when she nearly ran into Owen.

"Owen! Hi! Uhh, you kinda dropped by at a bad time. I was just walking out the door."

Owen looked slightly disappointed, but managed a smile anyway.

"Oh. I was hoping I could surprise you and take you to dinner. But if you're heading out, that's cool. Where are you going? Can I walk with you?"

Charlotte hesitated. She had been keeping contact with Owen a minimum since Friday, and she had noticed that doing so had made him more needy. As this thought struck her, an idea formed in her mind. It was going to sting, but she knew it was necessary.

"Uh, sure! I was actually just walking up to the school; Hutcherson emailed me earlier, demanding that I meet with him to discuss that paper."

They stepped off the porch and started the walk to the school. They chatted lightly for a few moments, Charlotte giving short answers to his questions. They had just reached the school when Charlotte stopped.

"Actually, Owen. There's something I need to discuss with you.."

Owen stopped and turned towards her, a look of confusion on his face. But his eyes held a degree of knowing what she was about to say. He was silent though, so she continued.

"I wanted to say...well, what I need to tell you is...shit."

Her nerves were through the roof, her palms sweaty. She took a deep breath to settle herself, and just said it.

"Listen, my ex from back home recently contacted me. We dated for...well, for a long time. But we had to break up when I came here. He's moving out this way soon, and we just have so much history together. He wants to get back together, Owen. We can't be dating anymore, but I'd really like to remain friends."

Guilt spread through her veins. Half of what she just said was part lies, part truth. It was true that she dated her ex for a long time, and that they broke up when she got into NYU. But it was for reasons other than school, and he had most certainly _not_ contacted her to rekindle their relationship. She knew for a fact that he was very happy with his new girlfriend, and that they were inseparable. Even when him and Charlotte were dating. She tried to catch Owen's eye, as he was now staring at the ground.

"Your ex. Right."

His response made Charlotte feel worse.

"I'm sorry Owen, you're..you're such a great-"

"A great guy. I know. That's what all the girls say when they break up with me. Which is funny, because they all leave, even though I'm so _great._"

He was pacing now, his voice becoming increasingly louder. Charlotte's nervousness was raising with Owen's voice. _Say something!_ She demanded to herself. She could see the hurt on his face, and she naturally wanted to make it better. Even though it was necessary, she couldn't stand causing someone else pain.

"Owen, I'm sorry. But I really want to stay friends with you. Can't we do that? Just be friends?"

He laughed shakily and turned away from her. Then, just as quickly, he turned back.

"Friends! Don't you understand? I can never be _just_ friends with you, Charlie! I've crossed the line, I can't just change the way I feel about you just because you want to be friends!"

He shook his head and ran his hands anxiously through his hair. Charlotte stared at him in shock, then remembered where she was supposed to be. She pulled her phone out. _6:10! Where did the time go?_ She thought. She was at a loss of what to do. She didn't want to just leave him, but she knew the Professor was adamant about punctuality. She turned to leave, then hesitated and turned back.

"Owen, I have to go. Can we talk about this later?"

He placed his hands on his hips, and nodded.

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever."

She pursed her lips, and quickly ran into the school.

Charlotte arrived at his office at 6:15. She was about to knock when the door swung open, and another student pushed past her. He was muttering all kinds of expletives as he stormed down the hall, and Charlotte could still hear him long after he was no longer visible. She stared after him for a moment, then turned to face the open door. Professor Hutcherson was leaning over his desk, his hands flat on the surface with a look of frustration on his face. He glanced at her and motioned for her to come in.

"Shut the door, please."

Charlotte obliged and stood awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to do. Eventually, she sat down, perched on the edge of her seat, waiting for him to make a move. He had moved away from his desk and was staring out the window. Finally, he broke the silence.

"Were you waiting long?"

Charlotte cleared her throat.

"No, I had actually just arrived when...your other student was leaving."

He glanced at his watch.

"You were late, then."

His voice was firm, and Charlotte could immediately tell that being late had been worse than she thought.

"I'm sorry, Owen showed up at my door and wanted to walk me..."

He whipped around.

"Owen? Again?"

_Jesus, everyone was in a bad mood today,_ she thought.

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

The Professor gave a clipped laugh.

"A problem. Yes actually, it is. I don't share, Miss Matthews. Owen Holt needs to go."

Charlotte was quickly losing patience.

"Well, problem solved then. I'm late because I just broke things off with him and he didn't take it well. Happy?"

Now they were both in a foul mood. They were silent for a moment, the only sound in the office being their breathing and the ticking of the clock on the wall. After a few heartbeats, Charlotte's thoughts drifted to the student who nearly knocked her on her feet.

"Who was that? The student that came out all pissed off?"

"Miss Matthews..."

"Charlotte."

He blinked at her, then nodded.

"Fine. _Charlotte,_ do you know why you're here?"

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, _you_ emailed _me_...something about an assignment. But you didn't answer me. Who was he?"

His gaze became intense and she quickly shut her mouth. He was not in the playing mood either apparently.

"That is none of your concern."

_Ok..._she thought. He finally sat down at his desk.

"I called you here to discuss the state of the paper that you submitted. It started off with plenty of promise, but then it was all down hill from there. Now, I've seen your grades and I've seen the kind of notes you can take. It would seem that you are _not_ a slacker. Therefore, I can't understand what happened here. Please, explain so I don't have to fail you."

Charlotte stared at him. She was confused, she thought he asked her here for...other reasons.

"Wait. You mean to tell me that I'm here purely for academic reasons?"

Finally, his bad mood seemed to lift and he smirked at her.

"Usually that's why one enrolls in college Charlotte, yes."

She glared at him, unappreciative of the sarcasm.

"I _mean_ this meeting. You called me here to actually discuss an assignment? There's no...I don't know, hidden agenda?"

He raised his eyebrows, and his eyes grew dark. He stood up, and walking around his desk walked towards her. Placing his hands on the arms of her chair, he leaned forward, his face inches from her's.

"Were you expecting something else, Miss Matthews?"

He placed his hand on her shoulder, pushing her farther back into the chair. Charlotte was speechless, but not necessarily opposed to the turn this meeting had taken.

"Maybe something like...this?""

Very lightly, he brushed his lips against hers. She sighed, her hearth thumping loudly in her chest, her face flushed. Swallowing hard, she stuttered to reply that she wanted to go further, but at that moment he smirked at her and backed off, returning to his desk. She stared at him questioningly, and he stared back, feigning ignorance on why she looked so frustrated. She was about to protest when he smiled at her.

"Here's the deal. If you want a decent grade on this paper, and I suspect you do, you will rewrite it and hand it in to me by Monday. If you do a good job, you will be rewarded. If not...well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Am I understood?"

Charlotte narrowed her eyes at him, trying to figure him out. His change of personality was going to give her whiplash.

"Is this going to be too much of a _challenge_ for you, Ms. Matthews?"

_That was it, _she thought. _He's trying to make me beg. Well Professor, good luck with that. _If he wanted to play that game, then she was going to play back. She suddenly stood, and leaned over his desk. Her v-neck shirt gave a perfect glance down her bra, and she knew he was taking advantage of the view. Reaching forward, she grabbed his tie, and pulled him closer.

"Not at all, _Professor._ I enjoy a challenge. But I hope you're prepared to lose."

He gave her a cocky smile, and she released him.

"Josh," he said.

Turning, she smiled at him. "Josh." She agreed. Swinging her hips, she walked out of his office. She was only half way down the hall when her confident mood plummeted and she remembered Owen. _Oh Owen,_ she thought. He was so kind to her, and she knew that he deserved better than this. Sighing, she pulled out her cell and sent him a quick message, then began her walk home.

By the time she got home, he still hadn't answered. Before she knew it, it was time for bed and still, no reply from Owen. She was beginning to become concerned, remembering how upset he had been earlier. She tried calling him, but it went straight to voice mail. Defeated, Charlotte crawled into bed, hoping to have better luck tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

The rest of the weekend passed quickly with Charlotte's phone as quiet as it was before she started this semester. Owen was not returning her calls, texts, or emails; nor was Josh contacting her. She had resigned to speak to both of them on Monday after lecture, but Owen wasn't there either. Now she was really worried. Class was especially boring without him to talk to during break, and the Professor didn't look at her once during the whole lecture. Even after class, he let her pass by him on her way out the door without a single word. Confused and frustrated, she began to make her way home when her phone chirped. Stopping under a street lamp, she opened it and saw a text, but the number was blocked. Curious, she opened the message anyway.

**Unknown:** Thanks for saying goodbye.

Judging by the message and the sarcasm she could feel seeping through the phone, she had a feeling who was behind this message. But she wanted to be sure.

**Charlotte:** Who is this?

**Unknown: **Isn't it obvious?

**Charlotte: **How did you get this number Josh?

**Unknown:** You'd be amazed on the contents of your student file.

Shaking her head, she saved his number. He _would_ go into her file for her number; heaven forbid he just ask her like a normal person.

**Charlotte:** Idk why, but I'm not surprised you would resort to that. What do you want, Josh?

No answer. She waited a few more moments, but he wasn't responding. Sighing, she continued her way home. Ten minutes later, her apartment was in sight and she was unlocking her front door. Almost immediately after closing it behind her though, someone was knocking at it. Charlotte checked the time; it was nearly 10:30, and the idea that someone was knocking at her door at this time wasn't exactly reassuring. Slowly, she opened the door and peered through the crack.

"Josh! You scared the hell out of me!" she exclaimed.

He smirked at her.

"You walked right past my car, I'm surprised you didn't see me. Can you let me in?"

She quickly undid the chain and opened the door wider. He strode into her apartment and took it all in. Sure that he was judging the state of _everything_, she instantly regretted not keeping up with the housework. Her dishes were piled in the sink and her homework was strewn across her desk. She stood by awkwardly, waiting for him to speak. He didn't though, so she decided to break the silence the only way she knew how.

"So..."

Josh turned to her. He was still silent and staring at her expectantly.

"So what?"

She stared at him. Apparently, he didn't want to jump at her open-ended statement and start an actual conversation. Taking the initiative, she started it for him.

"_So_, why are you here? You don't say anything to me all weekend or during class, then you show up on my porch at 10:30?"

"I can't pay you too much attention during class. Remember what you said to me the night I gave you a ride? Word spreads fast, Charlotte; people talk. I don't want the other students to think I favor you. Regardless, I'm not here to discuss how I treat you in class. I'm her to ask you to dinner."

She gaped at him.

"It's 10:30. At night."

He frowned at her.

"Yes, you said that already. I didn't mean tonight, I meant tomorrow night. I need to get to know you better before we begin...whatever it is we're doing. I need to know your likes, dislikes...limits."

She did a double take.

"Limits? What kind of limits? Wait, you want to take me to dinner?"

She said this all very quickly, as if he may suddenly change his mind about her. He walked over to her desk and sat in her chair, folding his hands in his lap.

"Yes, I want to take you to dinner. Why are you so surprised by that? And limits...by that I mean I need to know what you are comfortable with. I am very experienced Charlotte, and I'm sure there are many things I want to do to you that you have never even heard of."

His voice gave her chills, and excitement coursed through her veins.

"What things?"

He cocked a smile at her and stood, slowly walking towards her.

"Oh, you'll see soon enough Miss Matthews. But there's some things we need to sort first. Now, back to dinner. I have reservations for us tomorrow at _Le Parisien_ for seven. I will be picking you up at six pm sharp, so be sure you are ready and dressed appropriately."

This was all happening so quickly, and Charlotte barely had time to register what he said before he turned to leave. She shook out of her daze and stopped him.

"Wait! This place sounds expensive."

He laughed and turned back towards her.

"The money is no concern, I promise you."

She shook her head.

"Not the money. I have nothing to wear. It sounds like somewhere I should dress nice for. Can we go somewhere more casual?"

He looked her up and down.

"What size are you? A twelve?"

Charlotte blushed, surprised that he so easily guessed her size.

"Yeah. But-"

He cut her off.

"And your shoes; a six?"

"Seven. I'm thoroughly impressed by your guessing skills but that still solves nothing. I know

this great place downtown-"

Again, he cut her off.

"No. I'll take care of it and it will be delivered tomorrow by three. Goodnight Charlotte."

Charlotte stuttered to say something, but he was out the door before she could protest. Frowning, she quickly composed a text to him, protesting the idea of him buying her anything outside of dinner and complaining for not giving her a chance to say goodnight. After sending it, she jumped in the shower and tried to relax under the hot water. Her thoughts drifted from Josh, to dinner, to Owen, and then back to Josh again. By the time she stepped out of the shower, her head was swimming with thoughts and the dull ache of an oncoming migraine. Popping two Tylenol, she checked her phone, unsurprised to see a response from Josh that was less than a few minutes old.

**Josh:** Get used to it. I will provide for you as I see fit. See you tomorrow ;)

Charlotte groaned, but accepted that he was going to win this one. That didn't mean she would roll over and let him have his way in the future, though. She typed back a sarcastic response and sat in front of her computer. Checking her email, she saw one from Casey, her best friend back home. The email was filled with all kinds of small-town gossip, and the announcement that Charlotte's ex was getting married. Charlotte couldn't care less, but it was nice to be updated on what was happening in her hometown. Reading Casey's email, Charlotte began to realize just how lonely she was at NYU. With Owen ignoring her and the Professor being her only form of socialization, Charlotte longed for a visit from her best friend. She quickly wrote back, begging Casey to pay her a visit, and shut her computer for a night. Climbing into bed, she thought about Josh's visit tonight and his promise of a suitable outfit for tomorrow nights dinner. _It better not be skimpy_, she thought.

The package arrived precisely at three, which kind of creeped Charlotte out. She wondered who he had to bribe at the post office to have it delivered on time, but then she decided she didn't want to know. Setting the package on the bed, she opened it to reveal two white boxes. She opened the larger of the two, and pulled out slender black dress. It wasn't skimpy by any means, but it was definitely sexy. Setting it on the bed, she opened the other box and pulled out a pair of black pumps with what appeared to be four inch heels. Cringing, she set them on the floor and eyed the dress. She better try it on and make sure it fits. Holding it up, she noticed something black fall out. Charlotte set the dress back on the bed and crouched down to pick up whatever it was that fell out, when she froze.

_Oh. My. God._ She thought. _He didn't._

But he had. In her hands she held a matching set of lacy lingerie. The fabric was soft in her hands and the tags were still attached, although there was no price visible. She immediately wish she hadn't looked though, as the brand helped her realize that a price was not needed. The tags read _La Perela, _which was one of the few designers she knew. She had never owned anything from them, but Casey had dragged Charlotte into the store whenever she got to one, and she knew that their products ran well into the hundreds. Setting the bra and panties aside, she turned back to the dress. After she undressed, she slowly unzipped the dress and stepped into it.

It was a black, fitted v-neck with small cap sleeves and a slit up the side. It sat just a few inches above her knees, keeping her from feeling _too_ exposed. As she examined herself in the mirror, she felt something poking her side, and she unzipped the side zipper to expose _another_ tag. This one read _Michael Kors_. Placing her face in her hands, she took a deep breath. She didn't want to even imagine the fortune that this dress cost, and very slowly she slipped out of it, careful not to let it touch the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the shoes. Slowly, she stepped into them. They were surprisingly comfortable, and they added just enough height to her 5-foot frame. Admiring the way they lengthened her legs, she was happy to notice that they did not have a tag attached. She slipped them off and was placing them in the box when she saw the brand stamped into the soul of the pumps.

_Louboutin's? _She nearly passed out then and there. There was no way in hell he was already spending this kind of money on her. She picked up her phone, intending to deliver a very angry phone call to a certain Professor when the alarm she set to remind her to get ready went off. It was already five, and Josh would be here in an hour. Panicking, she launched into her bathroom and started the shower. She knew she lacked the time to shampoo her hair, so she resolved to shaving and washing, then quickly dried off and rushed to her vanity. Quickly applying her makeup, she styled her hair in record time. Then she turned towards the bed, where Josh's gifts still laid.

Taking a deep breath, she resolved to keep the lingerie, as it would be hard to return after she wore them. The dress, however, she had other plans for. After dinner, she was insisting that he return the dress and get his money back. Leaving the tag intact, she stepped into the dress again and slipped on the shoes just as someone knocked on her door. _Damn he was punctual_, she thought. She pulled the door open to reveal Josh standing on her porch, dressed in a crisp white shirt and blazer. His eyes were hidden behind reflective aviators, which he quickly removed when she opened the door. He looked her up and down with a smile.

"Charlotte...you...wow. You're stunning."

Smiling at the ground, she pushed her hair behind her ears, blushing. Then she remembered _why _she looked stunning.

"I hope you realize this dress is going back. The lingerie and shoes were expensive enough, but this...it's way to much."

He frowned at her.

"I hope _you_ realize that you are keeping it. You're a vision in that dress, and the shoes complete the look. I can only imagine how the lingerie looks."

"Seriously? You're going to make me keep everything?"

He laughed at her and stepped closer.

"Of course I am. Now get into my car before I decide to find out just how good that bra looks on you."


	9. Chapter 9

The restaurant was crowded, but a slight murmur only made it above the quiet music that was playing in the background. Charlotte tipped her head back in an attempt to view the ceiling; it was high and lofty, adorned by several chandeliers. She was suddenly thankful for her outfit, as everyone was dressed formally and she fit right in. Charlotte continued to look around, while Josh waited for the maitr'd to return and seat them. Suddenly, she was pulled out of her observations.

"Mr. Hutcherson! What a pleasant surprise!"

A man in a tux strode towards her and Josh. He was significantly older than them, and had a heavy accent that Charlotte perceived as french. She quickly placed him as the maitr'd, and stood closer to Josh, assuming that they would soon be seated. Josh nodded politely to the man.

"Good evening Franz. I would like my usual table, please."

Franz anxiously grabbed two menus.

"Of course, sir. Right away. If you'll follow me please."

He stepped into the dining room, followed by Josh, and Charlotte quickly followed to keep up. The dining room was just as beautiful as the entryway, with the same high ceilings. Each table was covered with a white table cloth and flowers, and the lighting was low, saturated with ambiance. Charlotte couldn't help but notice that every woman in the place was discreetly watching Josh as they were escorted to their table.

They were seated at a small round table in the corner that was not immediately visible from the entryway. It was quiet over here, and hidden from the craning necks and stares of all the ladies in the restaurant. Once they were seated, Franz placed their menus in front of them.

"Can I get you a bottle of wine Mr. Hutcherson?"

"Charlotte?"

She looked up from attempting to decipher the menu, which was completely in French.

"Do you prefer white or red wines?"

Charlotte wasn't exactly a wine connoisseur. She had maybe one glass of wine a year at Thanksgiving, totaling to maybe ten in her whole life. She strained to remember the color of the last glass she had.

"Oh. Uh...red, I think."

He smiled at her, and placed his order with Franz. After he left, Josh turned back towards her. She was still perusing the menu, although she couldn't read a thing. She was about to type _Moules à la vapeur_ into Google translate when the wine arrived. Their waiter presented the wine, then poured Josh a glass. He sipped it, then nodded his approval and a glass was poured for Charlotte.

"Charlotte, do you know what you want?"

He was smirking at her, and she was tempted to give him a sarcastic answer on _exactly_ what she wanted. But the waiter was standing nearby, waiting patiently for their order.

"I don't know, I have no idea how to read French."

His smile widened as he ordered for both of them, speaking fluent French, and the waiter departed with their order.

_Show-off,_ Charlotte thought.

"So. Now that I have you out to dinner, let's settle some things."

Charlotte tensed. He was definitely not wasting time.

"I would hope by now that you know my level of attraction towards you, and I am inclined to think that you feel the same. However, to be entirely positive, I need to know that _this_" he motioned between them "will be entirely consensual. I can't have you gallivanting off to human resources and crying wolf."

She stared at him. He was dead serious.

"Yes. I mean, of course this is consensual. You can't honestly think I'm baiting you?"

His mouth became a very thin line.

"It is not unheard of, but I am glad to hear it. Next order of business: are you a virgin?"

Charlotte's face turned a deeper shade of red than the wine. She quickly downed her glass, thankful that it was sweet.

"Well. If you must know, I'm not. I may not be as experienced as you claim to be, but I've been around."

He raised his eyebrow.

"As I _claim _to be?" he laughed. "Oh Ms. Matthews, you are trying my patience. How many men have you been with exactly?"

Charlotte pursed her lips, she about had it with the interview.

"How many women have _you_ been with, Professor? Since we're playing twenty questions, I think I should be able to play too."

He sat back in his seat, stunned that she could go from coy to demanding in less than ten seconds. He was going to argue, but then he hesitated, and decided to go along with it.

"Good point. Well, I-"

At that precise moment, their food arrived. The waiter set a plate in front of her of what looked like chicken and...potatoes? She wasn't sure. She poked it with her fork, unsure of where to start.

"It's _Confit de Canard._"

She looked up, and noticed that Josh had the same thing on his plate and was not hesitating to cut it up. He took a bite, then sipped his wine.

"Confetti what?"

He nearly choked on his wine, and he quickly set the glass down.

"_Confit de Canard!_ Duck! It's duck. Jesus."

She was laughing at him now as she cut up her duck. He was dabbing the red wine off his chin and shaking his head at her. She took a bite and the duck just melted in her mouth. She moaned and quickly cut up more, now eating with flourish. Josh stared at her. He very much enjoyed the noise she had just made, and promised himself to make her do it again.

"You like it, I guess?"

She nodded, her mouth full of duck. Swallowing, she took a sip of her wine and stabbed some potatoes.

"I've never had duck before. I've only ever seen it used on the cooking channels. But it's fantastic."

"You've never had duck?" he asked with shock.

She shook her head, and stabbed the last piece of her dinner.

"No. I grew up on hot dogs and macaroni."

He cringed. _It looks like I have my work cut out for me. Inexperienced _and_ uncultured, _he thought. _At least she's smart._

After their plates were taken away, they sat and enjoyed each others company over some strawberry pie. They had gone through several glasses of wine at that point, and Charlotte was beginning to feel the effects, a delightful flush spreading up her neck.

"So Ms. Matthews, you never answered my question."

She giggled.

"And you never answered mine, Professor."

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Hmm. I'll answer yours if you answer mine. Deal?"

She nodded.

"Alright. You first."

Sighing, she decided to play along.

"Three. I've been with three guys since I lost my v-card. Happy?"

_Only three! She really _was_ inexperienced by comparison. _

"Now you."

_Shit._

"Uhh...well..It's been about..."

The bill was placed on the table, saving him from having to answer. Josh grabbed the bill and placed a card inside, then handed it to the waiter without even looking at the total. She stared at him, waiting for him to continue, and he stared right back. Then the waiter returned.

"Thank you sir and madam, I 'ope you have a wonderful evening."

Josh signed the receipt, and stood to leave, effectively leaving Charlotte hanging. She quickly jumped up from the table, and followed him out of the restaurant. They stepped out into the warm night, and waited while the valet brought around the Audi.

"So..."

He turned to her.

"So...what?"

She scowled. He was doing this on purpose. Charlotte was determined to get an answer, but she decided to back off for now, and spring the question at a later time. The Audi arrived, and she climbed in. Josh sat in the drivers seat and paused before shifting the car into gear.

"Would you like to come over to my place Charlotte?"

He mentally smacked himself. He did _not_ just invite her to his place immediately after the first date. But surprisingly, she agreed. He breathed a sigh of relief. Most girls smacked him or were far to eager to agree the few times he suggested that they go to his apartment. He much preferred to make them wait before he invited them over. Throwing the car into gear, he drove deeper into the city, trying to decide exactly what was going to happen when they reached his apartment. He didn't have much time to come up with a plan, though. Traffic was surprisingly good and they reached the building much faster than he anticipated. Charlotte was glancing out the window with curiosity.

"You live in the city?" she asked.

He pulled the car into the underground parking garage.

"Of course. What did you expect?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know...I just imagined you living in some huge mansion just outside the city with several housekeepers and a..." she searched for the right word."...a plethora of luxury cars."

Josh parked the car and turned towards her, his mouth agape.

"A _plethora_? Jesus, Charlotte who do you think I am exactly, a playboy?"

Charlotte snorted and stepped out of the car.

"What? Wait, where are you going?"

Charlotte had started wandering off in a random direction. She usually didn't drink much, and all the wine had gone straight to her head. Josh caught up with her and grabbed her arm.

"Hey, the elevator is this way."

They reached the elevator and rode up to the eleventh floor in silence. He still didn't know what he was doing, but it was the complete opposite of what he had planned to begin with. His intention was to take her to dinner, take her home. But _no._ He had to go and speak without actually thinking. He rubbed his eyes as the ding of the elevator startled him out of his thoughts, and he automatically stepped into his loft, closely followed by Charlotte. Josh turned towards Charlotte, intending to say something when they heard a clink from the kitchen, like things being moved around the fridge.

Josh froze, and Charlotte snickered.

"One of your housekeepers getting a late night snack?" she teased.

But Josh didn't have any housekeepers, and he hushed Charlotte.

"Stay here," he whispered.

Slowly, he crept down the hall towards the noise. Taking a deep breath, he yelled into the kitchen.

"Who's there?"

A light flicked on, and someone came around the corner.


	10. Chapter 10

The figure tackled Josh, but it seemed more like a hug than an attack to Charlotte.  
"Josh! Hey man I was wondering where you were!"  
"Conner!" Josh sputtered. "What the fuck are you doing in my apartment!"  
Charlotte looked between the two men, confused and entertained all at once. She could see the frustration on Josh's face, and she was trying very hard not to laugh. They obviously knew each other, as the man was pulling Josh into one of those one-armed hug things that guys do. They separated, and Josh rubbed his palms into his eyes.  
"Conner-"  
"Yeah, crazy story. But to make things short, I was in the area and decided to pay my favorite big brother a visit!"  
"Conner-"  
"So I was driving downtown to find your place, when I realized I was heading in the wrong direction. I had my driver turn around, and after I found the building it was no problem taking the elevator straight up. I still have that emergency key you gave me years ago."

"_Conner_-"  
"Once I let myself in, I naturally headed straight to your liquor cabinet, which I must say you have kept well stocked you sly dog-"  
"CONNER!"  
He suddenly stopped talking, and silently stared at Josh in shock.  
"Can you not see that I have company?"  
Charlotte was suddenly noticed, and just as quickly cornered by Conner.  
"Hey there. I'm Conner, Josh's younger, better looking brother. I'm sorry to interrupt what I'm sure he promised to be a very _alluring_ evening-"  
Josh cleared his throat, and Conner was cut short.  
"Charlotte, forgive me. Would you mind waiting for me in the dining room? I need to have a word with my _brother_."  
By this time, all the activity had sobered Charlotte up. If she looked closer, she could see the resemblance between Josh and Conner. Josh was obviously irritated with how the night was progressing, and she could see that he wanted to take care of this so they could finish their discussion from dinner. She agreed, and he pointed out the way to the dining room. Once she was out of sight, Josh whipped around.  
"Conner! What the hell?"  
But he was already gone, walking back to the liquor cabinet. Josh quickly followed him. He found him pouring two glasses of his best bourbon. He handed one to Josh, and sipped his own. Josh was still trying to wrap his head around the situation, and he was silent while he waited for Conner to explain.  
"Have you two been together long?"  
Josh choked on his drink, and gasped to catch his breath. Conner was trying to distract him, but Josh wasn't going to share his personal life at the drop of a hat.  
"I don't remember it being any of your business, Conner. You can't just break into my apartment and start interrogating me-"  
"You've been screening my calls, Josh." Conner was suddenly serious. "I think I have the right to check in when I haven't heard from you in weeks."  
Josh downed his drink and turned to make another.  
"And why shouldn't I? I know why you've been calling me, and it's not happening."  
Conner sighed.  
"Josh, you can't run from this forever. Dad's not well."  
"My answer was no, Conner. And it's _still_ no. It will _always_ be no. Don't show up here thinking you can suddenly change my mind."  
Charlotte sat at the dining room table for about five minutes before she started fidgeting. The room was large and quiet, with the only light coming in from the city lights behind her. She had gotten up from the table and walked around, trying to distract herself with the view, the numerous books that adorned the room, the fireplace...anything. It seemed like Josh had been gone for hours, but in reality it had only been minutes. She finally heard the door slam shut, and Josh entered the dining room.  
She cleared her voice. "So...about that."  
He sighed, and sat at the table.  
"Yeah. That was my younger brother. He was here to...to harass me. That's one way to put it, at least."  
She nodded.  
"What's wrong with your Dad?"  
Josh tensed up, then sighed again.  
"You heard all that, huh?"  
Charlotte sat down with him.  
"I wasn't trying to listen, but you guys are loud. I only caught a few things here and there."  
She paused, and waited for him to clarify. Finally, he stood up and started pacing in front of her.  
"He's...old. Smokes too much, drinks too much. Works way too hard. He wants me to take over his business, but I declined when I turned 18, so naturally the responsibility fell to Conner. But he still thinks he's going to change my mind, so he's sent Conner to do it for him."  
This piqued Charlotte's interest. His family owned a business? She nearly asked him what kind of company he owned, but he seemed pretty guarded. Josh didn't know why he was saying all of this; even as he said it he questioned himself. Normally, he would simply dodge such questions with a distraction. But for some reason he felt comfortable with Charlotte, although he barely knew her.  
"Why did you decline? Guaranteed job for life...most people would kill for that kind of job security."

He glanced at the ground with his hands on his hips, then looked up at her.  
"I had my reasons. The point is that I have no intention of accepting it now."  
Charlotte pursed her lips, but she could tell that the conversation was over for now. Josh sat back down at the table, and smiled softly at her.  
"Listen, I'm sure this is a lot to take in. Why don't we continue our dinner conversation in the kitchen over a drink or two?"  
It was still early, and the thought of possibly learning more about him appealed to Charlotte, especially since she still had questions that were still unanswered. She nodded and Josh escorted her into the kitchen. He pulled out a bar stool for her, which she awkwardly climbed onto as she tried to keep her dress from riding up. Josh stepped over to the bar and began pulling out several bottles.  
"What's your drink of choice? I'm proud to say that I'm fairly proficient at bar tending."  
Charlotte didn't really know any. She had only been to bars a handful of times, and her sister or Casey always ordered for her. She shook her head, at a loss of what to ask for.  
"Yeah, I don't really know any. But since you're so proficient, can't you just recommend something?"  
"Touche Miss Matthews. Alright then, we'll start you off with a classic. Rum and Coke with lime."  
He dropped a few ice cubes into the bottom of a glass, and took out a lime, a can of Coke, and what she assumed must be the rum. After quickly slicing the lime, he poured the coke and the rum into a shaker and shook it. He then poured it into the glass, placed the lime wedge on the lip of the glass, and finally handed it to her.  
Taking the drink, she slowly brought it to her lips and sipped it, all while maintaining eye contact with Josh. She heard him suck in his breath, and she swallowed the drink. It was citrusy and sweet, and she loved it. She quickly downed the rest of it, loving the feeling of the warmth that spread through her stomach. Josh was staring at her as she darted her tongue out and licked her lips. Then she slid the glass back to him.  
"Another. Please."  
He laughed.  
"Wow, alright. Another rum and coke coming up."  
He made another, and shifted it over to her. She drank half of it in one gulp, then squeezed the lime into the drink.  
"Miss Matthews, are you_ trying _to get drunk?"  
She put on her thoughtful face, the alcohol making her bold.  
"Hmm...maybe. Aren't you having anything?"  
He reached over and grabbed a bottle with dark liquid swirling at the bottom.  
"Of course. Bourbon."  
Pouring a fair amount into the glass, he swallowed about half then refilled his glass.  
"Just plain bourbon? You don't mix it with anything?"  
He shook his head.  
"Just plain. Does that surprise you?"  
She thought about it, then answered.  
"Not really. So, you wanted to continue our dinner conversation?"  
He sipped his drink, nodding.  
"Yes. I believe I was about to ask you my next question? When-"  
She shook her head and interrupted him.  
"Wrong. I had answered _your _question, asked you mine, and you never answered. So, as soon as you answer, we can get back to playing 20 questions."  
She grinned at him as he looked at her, frustrated that she had remembered despite him trying to distract her. Finally, he groaned.  
"Fine...you asked how many women I've been with. If I'm completely honest, I've lost track. But if I were to guess, I'd say...twenty or so?"  
Her jaw dropped and he smirked at her. _Twenty?! Jesus_..._he really _was _a playboy_. Charlotte quickly closed her mouth and composed herself.  
"Well...I'd say that's...wow." She downed her drink, and Josh prepared her a third. "Alright, what's your next question?"  
He glanced up at her while he poured her another glass, and cinched his eyebrows together./p  
"When's the last time you had sex?"  
She gasped and felt her face burn. Of course he would ask her the one question that she didn't want to admit to. She sighed and tried to remember how long it had been as he handed her the drink.  
"It's been at least...two years. Not since my ex and I broke up."  
"Two years! That explains a lot."  
She looked at him questioningly.  
"It does? Like what?"  
"Well for one, it explains why you react to me so quickly."  
She blushed again.  
"React?" She laughed nervously, and tried to dismiss the fact that he was absolutely right. "Who says I 'react' to you? And fast for that matter?"  
His eyes darkened, and the smile slid off her face.  
"Is that another challenge, Ms. Matthews?"  
She gulped and averted her eyes. He knocked back his drink, and walked around the bar, getting as close to Charlotte as he possibly could. Slowly, he ran his hand along the hemline of her dress, and carefully slipped under it, wandering up her thigh. He kept his eye contact with her, and brushed her hair behind her ear.  
"Are you telling me that you aren't turned on by this? By me? I believe you are sorely mistaken Charlotte, and I'm going to prove it to you."  
He leaned forward and placed his lips on her neck. She gasped as a tingling sensation ran down her spine, and she felt him smile against her throat. His fingers had reached her panty line, and they were feeling along the edge, teasing her. He was so close to touching her, and the anticipation was killing her. His other hand was wrapped around her hip, holding her in place.  
Charlotte's breathing had become heavy, and she was very close to begging him. But she was determined not to break yet, and she kept herself in check. As if he could read her mind, his hand suddenly left her panty line and drifted down to between her thighs, and he softly rubbed her through the fabric. Groaning, she heard him laugh softly in her ear.  
"You're this wet already, and you think I don't notice? Charlotte, your body betrays you. Even when I'm not between your thighs like this, I can see it in your eyes when you're thinking about me."  
She gasped, desperately wanting more. It had been so long, and Josh knew exactly how to tease her. Reaching up, she grabbed at his back, encouraging him to continue. She felt him push her panties aside, and could hear him groan when he discovered just how wet she actually was. She could sense that his restraint was about to break, and she was more than willing to let him do whatever he wanted to her. She spread her legs as far as they would go in her dress to allow him more access-  
Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.  
They froze.  
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz.  
_The fuck is that?_ Charlotte thought. Josh sighed in disappointment, and slowly backed away from her. _No! _She thought, But he was already straightening his jacket. He turned and walked towards the hall, leaving Charlotte shocked on the bar stool. She shook herself out of it and quickly jumped up, adjusted her dress and followed him. She found him leaning against the wall, his finger on a button that was attached to a box on the wall.  
"What is it?"  
Charlotte was confused for a moment, then realized it was a call box and someone was buzzing to come up. She heard a muffled response, then Josh pushed the button again.  
"Yeah, come on up."  
He held down a different button this time, then released it and sighed again. He was clearly irritated.  
"It's Conner. He forgot his damn phone, so he's coming back to get it. Idiot."  
Charlotte looked at him in confusion.  
"Conner? I thought he had a key?"  
Josh smirked at her, and pulled a key out of his pocket.  
"Exactly. He _had _a key. I took it from him before he left. Can't have him coming to my apartment and drinking up my liquor whenever he wants. But regardless, he's on his way up now, and I doubt I can get him out of here very fast. Knowing him he left his phone here on purpose, thinking it would give him an excuse to come back."  
He looked at her regretfully, as if something had greatly inconvenienced him from getting what he wanted. And in a way, Conner had. She nodded though, and gathered her purse from the side table.  
"That's alright, it's getting late anyways. Plus I have plenty of homework to get through, no thanks to you, Professor."  
He gave her a crooked smile.  
"You have my number, call me if you'd like any help. I don't charge extra for private lessons."  
She quirked her eyebrow at him.  
"No surprise there." She walked towards the door, but he grabbed her wrist.  
"Wait, how are you getting home? I could drive you if you don't mind sitting through another dose of Conner."  
She seriously considered accepting his offer, but at that moment, Conner knocked on the door and she shook her head.  
"No thanks, I'll just catch a cab," she turned to leave, but looked at him at the last minute. "I had fun tonight. Thanks for dinner and...dessert." She looked at him seductively and he laughed as she opened the door.  
"Charlotte, hey! You're still here?"  
She quickly ducked under Conner's arm, and stepped into the elevator. The doors started to close, but before they did she caught Josh staring at her, his eyes still smoldering. She quickly winked, and the doors shut. She wasn't sure if he saw, but she hoped he did. As the elevator began to descend, she sighed and couldn't wait 'til they met up again.


	11. Chapter 11

_Charlotte squirmed in the bed, panting heavily. She pulled against the restraints that held her wrists in place, but they were secure. Hands grasped at her hips, pulling her closer, and she looked to see a head of dark hair between her thighs. Josh...she thought, and tipped her head back with a groan. She desperately wanted to reach down and grab a fistful of his hair, but the restraints held tight. Instead, she compensated by pushing her hips off the bed, closer to his mouth. But his hands gripped tighter and pushed her roughly back onto the bed. She whimpered, and he looked up. Charlotte gasped; that wasn't Josh. _

Her eyes flew open and Charlotte sat straight up in bed. She was drenched in sweat from her nightmare, and the humidity in her apartment didn't help. Her clock read one in the morning and she had only been home a little over an hour. Flopping back down, she remembered that she had been in such a deep sleep. She wondered why she had woken up so suddenly, when she realized her phone was buzzing. Rolling over, she detached her phone from the charger and opened it.

**Josh:** You made it home alright, didn't you?

Charlotte wiped her hair off her sticky forehead and sat up. After the cab dropped her off, she kicked off her shoes, pulled off the dress, and pulled a shirt on before collapsing in bed. She couldn't believe how tired she was, and she was even more surprised when she fell asleep immediately. In her exhaustion, she completely forgot to tell Josh that she was home safe. Sitting up in bed, she typed out a response.

**Charlotte: **Yeah, I did. Sorry, I fell asleep.

She flopped back down into bed and stared at the ceiling in the dark. She swallowed hard, remembering her dream. It was great, up until she realized it wasn't Josh between her legs, but someone else all together. Sighing, she pulled herself out of bed and walked into the kitchen for a glass of water. She kept a bottle of sleeping pills in her cabinet for nights like these, and she popped two in her mouth as soon as she retrieved them from the bottle.

Charlotte then shuffled back into her room, toppling into bed and waited for Josh to text her back. It was still so hot and sticky in her apartment, and she wondered if she would be able to sleep at all. After a few minutes, though, the sleeping pills were kicking in. _I'll just text him back tomorrow_, she thought. Yawning, she quickly fell back into a deep sleep.

She dreamt that Owen was teaching class instead of Josh, and that Josh had taken Owen's usual seat in front of her. Owen lectured about school rules forever, and then called on her to explain why no one else had shown up for class. Charlotte had looked around the class, only to reveal that he was right: no one else had come to class except the three of them. When she told him this, Josh turned around and chastised her for not knowing the answer because she had been late. Then his phone started chirping.

_Chirping?_ Josh's phone didn't chirp.

Charlotte's eyes opened slowly to her phone ringing. She groped at her bedside table, wondering what time it was, and brought her phone to her ear.

"Hello?" she answered groggily.

"Where the _hell_ are you?"

Now she was awake. It was Josh, and he did not sound happy.

"What? I'm in bed, where are you?"

She could practically see him pacing on the other side of the phone.

"I'm exactly where you are supposed to be. IN CLASS. Which _starts_ in less than ten minutes!"

Stunned, she sat up in bed.

"Class? Wait, what time is it?"

She glanced around, frantically searching for her clock, but Josh answered before she could find it.

"It's 6:50 and you have exactly five minutes to get here!"

Launching out of bed, she pulled on the first thing she could find, which happened to be a pair of skinny jeans and a black v-neck. She didn't even bother brushing her hair or teeth, and decided to just settle for some gum and a messy bun.

"Shit! I overslept. Fucking sleeping pills."

"Sleeping pills? Overslept? How the _fuck_-"

"I'll be right there!"

She hung up on him, which she was sure she'd hear about later, and shoved her shoes on. She slammed the door shut and ran to class, her messenger bag bouncing painfully against her hip. _Goddamn it,_ she though. _Josh is going to absolutely filet me alive._

Charlotte made it to the school in her fastest time yet, completely out of breath. Holding at a stitch in her side, she paused to catch her breath, and glanced at the clock. 7:01. She was officially late, but she jogged to the classroom anyway. She would demand that he let her in, she'd be damned if he dared to lock her out.

Reaching the door, she took a moment to compose herself, then she turned the handle. _It opened!_ Surprised, but not wanting to wait too long, she quickly walked into class, closing the door behind her. Josh had stopped lecturing, and all eyes were on her as she walked to her seat, blushing furiously.

"Running late are we, Ms. Matthews?"

Charlotte cringed at the icy tone in his voice as she sat down and took out her recorder. He wasn't going to take it easy on her. She decided it was best to play it safe and apologize, rather than be sarcastic.

"I'm sorry Professor. It won't happen again."

She made eye contact with him, and tried to transfer how sorry she really was simply through a look. She must have succeeded, because he returned to his notes.

"It better not, Ms. Matthews. You happened to be late on a day that I forgot to lock the door. Next time, you won't be so lucky."

He continued his lecture, and she breathed a sigh of relief. That was close; _too _close. And she would make good on her promise to not let it happen again. She finally got a chance to look around the class, and disappointment filled her up when she realized that Owen was once again absent. She couldn't understand what was going on with him. He had completely cut off all communication, and now he was avoiding her.

She thought about her dream of Owen lecturing the class. What the hell was that about? Did it mean something? Was she secretly wishing that she had stayed with Owen? _No..._she thought. _I definitely want to make things work with Josh. But why am I suddenly dreaming about Owen?_ Suddenly, she remembered why she took the sleeping pills to begin with. _That_ dream was mind consuming too, and even more so because of the content. Forget Owen, why was _he_ suddenly popping into her sleeping mind? She put her chin in her hand and lost herself in thought.

_Charlotte stared at the acceptance letter in her hand. She was bursting with excitement at being accepted to NYU, and she couldn't wait to tell everyone. All her life she worked to get into this school, and now it was becoming a reality._

_Her parents were out, but she had to tell someone, so she pulled out her phone and called the one person she was most excited to share her news with. She had been friends with Casey since their freshman year of high school, and she couldn't wait to hear if they had been accepted to the same school. Casey answered on the second ring, and Charlotte lost all her plans to make her friend guess the good news._

_"I did it Case! I got in!" she practically screamed in excitement. _

_There was a sharp gasp on the other end, followed by enthusiastic squealing._

_"Oh my God, Charlie! I knew you could do it! When did you get the letter?"_

_"Just now! Did you get yours?"_

_Casey paused. _

_"Yeah, I did. But tell me all about your plans! Have you talked to Rem yet?"_

_Charlotte had planned to call Rem, her boyfriend, next. But she knew Casey was trying to distract her, and she wasn't going to be fooled. _

_"Not yet. What's wrong Case? I know when something is wrong, you better tell me."_

_Casey sighed, and Charlotte imagined her sitting down at her kitchen table. _

_"Fine, you're right. I didn't get in, Charlie. It's not happening for me." _

_Charlotte could hear the despondency in her friends voice, regardless of how well she was trying to hide it. _

_"Casey...I'm really sorry. What are you gonna do?"_

_"I don't know. I applied at a few community colleges, so there's always that."_

_Charlotte nodded, then remembered that Casey couldn't see her. She was about to reply, when her call waiting beeped. Glancing at the screen, she saw that it was Rem. _

_"Listen, Casey...Rem is beeping in. I better answer, you know how he gets when I don't answer my phone. I'll call you later, 'kay?" _

_"Sure, Charlie. Whenever is fine. Talk to you later!" _

_She hung up, and Charlotte switched the phone call over. _

_"Rem, hey. What's up?"_

Charlotte was pulled out of reminiscence by the door slamming. Apparently, Professor Hutcherson was taking a break; he was missing and everyone else was engaging in casual conversation. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was a little late for him to be taking a break; the class was nearly over, it only had an hour left. Shrugging, she reached into her bag for her cell, and opening it, saw that she had a text from...Josh? Curious, she opened the text, and blanched when she read it.

**Josh:** My office. Now. Bring your things.

Shit. This was it. He must have noticed her daydreaming, and now she was really going to get it. Shakily, she gathered her things and left the room. She wanted to walk there slowly, but knew things would only be worse for her if she took her time, so she walked at a normal pace.

Her palms began to sweat as his door came into sight. _Should I knock? Or should I just walk in? _She sided with a knock, deciding that it was better to be polite in this case. Rapping her knuckles on the door, she waited.

"Come in," she heard him say from the other side.

Slowly, she turned the handle and stepped inside, remembering to shut the door behind her.

"Sit," he said, and motioned to the chairs. Shuffling, she set her bag down by the seats and sat down. She felt like a bomb was about to go off, but she didn't know when.

Charlotte waited patiently for him to speak, but when he didn't immediately, she became increasingly nervous. She started to fidget, which didn't go unnoticed by the Professor. He was sitting at his desk, his hands folded in front of him, and he did not look happy. She decided a distraction technique was her best option at this point.

"Class only has an hour Josh, couldn't this wait?"

He grimaced.

"I dismissed class early, so don't worry about that. We have all the time we need." he finally really looked at her. "You look like hell."

She ignored that last comment. _Wait,_ she thought. _He dismissed class? When...?_

"You didn't know I dismissed class, did you?" He paused. "What the fuck, Charlotte? First you're late, then you completely zone out during my whole lecture? You aren't going to pass this class just because we're seeing each other. You still have to work for it."

That caught her attention.

"I never thought that! I don't expect you to pass me unless I earn my grade, and I'm offended that you would assume otherwise. I just...I had a rough night after I got home is all."

Josh's demeanor changed.

"A rough night? Did something happen?"

She shook her head, reluctant to tell him about her dream. He waited patiently for her to say something, but when she didn't he pressed her for more information.

"Did Owen do something?"

This confused her. _Why would he suddenly bring up Owen?_ She hadn't even mentioned Owen since she broke things off with him, and she hadn't heard from him since. She had actually given up on trying to contact him since he was completely ignoring her.

"Owen? No...I haven't heard from him. He's ignoring me, and since he hasn't been in class, I haven't seen him either. Why?"

Josh shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and he seemed to be having an internal struggle. She was about to ask him what was going on, but she didn't need to.

"Owen...well, he dropped the class. The same day you came to see me, actually. I can only assume that was a result of you leaving him." He paused for a moment, as if he didn't want to say more, but knew he had too. "There's things you don't know about him. He's...unstable to put it lightly."

Charlotte looked at him doubtfully. Owen? Unstable? No way. He was too nice. He was just hurt, that's all it was. She figured she'd give him some time and he would eventually talk to her again. Besides, even though he was nice and friendly to her, it wasn't like they had been dating for months or anything. If he completely wanted to cut off all contact, he had the right to. But now Josh had her curious, and she decided to take the bait.

"Unstable? Like how? Actually, how do you know he's like that?"

Sitting back in his chair, Josh slowly glanced around his office, as if looking for the words to say. He knew that she wasn't going to like this, but at this point he had too.

"As I'm sure you know, Owen worked with me for a short time. Sort of like an internship. But he had only been working for a semester when the pressure became too much, and he had to leave."

Charlotte nodded, she knew about this.

"Because of his studies. He told me all this our first day in class."

But Josh shook his head.

"Not his studies. That was a lie."

He studied her face, which was contorted in confusion.

"Just before he started helping me, he started seeing a girl he took my classes with, Alex. But once he began working with me, she left him. They were only together for a few weeks. He had spent long hours here after classes, helping me grade and send out emails to students. I can only imagine the break-up had something to do with that, but he never told me.

"However, after they went their separate ways, Owen became obsessed. He was constantly emailing her, texting her, calling her...even following her around the school. I saw her a few times, and she always had makeup caked onto her face. But it wasn't always enough. I saw the edges of a bruise or a scrape more than once. I was concerned about her, but she would never tell me about them. One afternoon, Owen didn't show up here and I received a phone call from one of my students. She said that she was with Alex at her apartment, and that Owen was pounding on the door, refusing to leave until she saw him. I had to drive over there and drag him away from her house. I should have called the police, but I didn't want him to get arrested. I thought he was just drunk and upset, and that he simply needed someone to talk to.

"But he wasn't drunk, and he refused to talk to me; just demanded that I leave him alone. After that, he quit working for me, dropped all his classes, and took a semester off. I looked into his student file, and saw that he has had similar cases in the past with girlfriends, even a school report of stalking. This was his first semester back, and when I saw him with you in the park that day, I decided to keep a close eye on him. When you told me that you had broken up with him, I was worried. Now that he hasn't spoken to you at all, I'm even more concerned. It's just like what happened with Alex all over again, except it's like he's waiting for the right moment to pounce."

Silence passed between them. Charlotte was shocked and confused. She didn't want to believe that Owen had actually stalked his ex-girlfriends, but Josh had no reason to lie to her. She didn't know what to think. At the same time, she was relieved that she had broken things off with him before it had gotten too serious. But now she was also concerned about Owen's sudden decision to drop the class. Charlotte mulled this over for a few moments, shrugged, then composed herself. She didn't want Josh to think she was worried.

"Well. That's a lot to think about. But I'm sure I'll be fine. Like I said, he hasn't contacted me, and I don't think he's going to. Anyway...we got away from the original topic. I'm sorry I was late. And I'm sorry that I didn't pay attention in class."

Josh stood up and splayed his hands over his hips, pacing.

"Charlotte, this isn't even about class anymore. I'm concerned for your safety. This is not like him to just cut off all contact with a girl, it makes me wonder what he's thinking, or planning for that matter. He can look up you're student information at any time and use it to his advantage."

Charlotte remembered her first email with Owen. _I looked you up on the school's computer._ The Professor had a point, but there wasn't much else he could gather from her student file. He knew her email, her phone number... _Shit._ This was more serious then she though.

"He's been to my apartment. He knows where I live, and he knows my class schedule. He'll know when I'm home and when I'm not."

Josh stopped pacing, and stared at her.

"I don't want you going back there. You'll stay with me tonight until we find out Mr. Holt's whereabouts and you are no longer in any kind of danger."

_Well, that was unexpected,_ she thought.

"What? No, I can't. I've got homework, and...stuff." She trailed off pathetically, unable to come up with another excuse. Josh, knowing that she didn't have any other reasons, smirked at her.

"Yes. You can, and you will. Besides, don't act like you would be opposed to spending more time together."

Pink tinged her cheeks, and she gave in.

"Fine. But I'm going home to get some things first."

"Unnecessary. I can get clothes and toiletries for you."

She glared at him.

"Absolutely not. I'm still trying to get over the dress."

"Charlotte, don't fight me on this."

"I'll fight you tooth and nail. I will _not_ be provided for like a damsel-in-distress."

He looked at her seriously, and she stared right back, challenging him. Finally, he sighed.

"Fine. I will pick you up in one hour. Don't take too long, I'm not a patient man."

She smiled and nodded knowingly, then gathered her bag and backed away towards the door.

"See you in an hour."


	12. Chapter 12

Exactly one hour later, Josh was knocking on Charlotte's door. As soon as she opened it, he strode past her and walked over to the nearest window, locking it. He then proceeded to all the other windows in the apartment, closing and locking the ones that were open, Charlotte following him awkwardly.

"Uh...what is it you think you're doing?"

He grunted as he pushed the last one closed.

"Locking up. You're going to be gone for a few days, and its only safe, especially given that you are on the ground level."

Charlotte huffed.

"_You _may think I'll be there a few days, but we'll see about that."

Josh narrowed his eyes at her, but didn't press the issue. Instead, he picked up her messenger bag.

"This your only bag?"

She nodded and reached for it, but Josh swung it over his shoulder.

"It's ok, I got it. Let's get going, I wanna get somewhere before traffic gets too heavy."

Charlotte was about to ask what he meant, but Josh was already out the door. She followed him, pulling the door closed behind her. He placed her bag in the back seat, and they climbed into the car and drove off.

"So where are we going?" she asked.

He shifted in his seat a little and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh, just this little place I know. I figured we could use some drinks after today."

Just thinking about her nightmare last night, being late for class, and everything Josh had told her about Owen made her long for one of those Rum and Cokes.

"Sounds amazing. How long 'til we get there?"

Josh laughed.

"I had a feeling you'd agree. We'll be there in about five minutes."

They continued to drive down town, into the center of the city. Charlotte had come down here only once before, she never had any other reason to venture downtown. She never had any money, and no friends to come shopping with. She leaned against the window, taking in all the activity that surrounded her.

Within a few minutes, they were pulling up to a a small corner building that was dark and plain other than the title _No. 8 _lit up in green on top of the building. Josh got out and opened the door for Charlotte, then handed his keys to the valet. They walked up to the door, which was blocked by a large man in a suit and sun glasses, but he stepped aside and opened it as soon as he saw Josh approaching.

"Mr. Hutcherson," he said.

Josh did not reply, but simply nodded at him as they walked past and entered the bar. Charlotte gaped at him, curious as to why it seemed like everyone knew him.

"Do you know everyone?"

He laughed.

"I'm sure there's a handful of people that I don't know."

Charlotte had no idea what that could mean, but Josh was already leading her through the busy bar, and to a private booth at the back. Soon after they were seated, they were approached by a cocktail waitress who had eyes only for Josh, which bothered Charlotte immensely.

"What can I get for you Mr. Hutcherson?" She purred.

But Josh barely acknowledged her.

"A rum and coke, _Appleton_ rum and lime. And I'll have _Four Roses_, neat."

The waitress sashayed off. The bar was dark, but not so dark that she couldn't see Josh next to her, his arm draped casually across the booth seat. His other hand was resting on the table, tapping it occasionally, although he looked very relaxed. He must have noticed her looking at him though, because he suddenly turned and locked eyes with her. Charlotte blushed, thankful that it was dark. Before either of them could comment, though, their drinks arrived and Josh sipped his bourbon while Charlotte tried to not drink her's too fast.

"By all means, don't go slow on my account. Drink if you want to drink."

Charlotte swallowed her drink and looked at him, laughing.

"Are you _trying_ to get me drunk, Professor?"

He gave her a sly smile and examined his drink carefully before sipping more.

"I believe that is up to interpretation, Miss Matthews. Do you _want_ to get drunk?"

She thought about that. Did she? She had never really gotten drunk before, only mildly tipsy at her going away party two years ago. Looking at Josh though, she came to the realization that she trusted him, and she found herself saying yes. Josh signaled the waitress, and tipped back the rest of his drink while waiting for her to walk over.

"I want six Irish Car Bombs."

The waitress nodded and walked away, miffed that Josh was paying minimal attention to her.

"Six _what_?"

Josh laughed nervously.

"Irish Car Bombs. They're...well, they're good. You'll like them."

Charlotte glanced at him skeptically, and the shots were delivered to the table. She examined the shots, thinking they looked like chocolate milk. She held it up to her nose, picking up notes of crème and something else she couldn't quite identify.

"It's beer. And Whiskey." He pulled one closer, excitement radiating off of him.

Charlotte was intrigued. She had never seen him like this; in fact, she didn't think he was capable of relaxing this much. She stared at her shot, a little intimidated and skeptical. She had never taken shots before either, and she didn't want to make a fool of herself.

"Alright. This is what we're going to do. Have you ever played_ Never have I ever_?"

Charlotte had heard of the game, but had never actually played, so she shook her head.

"I didn't think so, so I'm gonna go first. I'm going to say something that I think you've done but I haven't, and if you've done it, you have to take a shot. Whoever takes all their shots first, loses. Make sense?"

She nodded, still nervous.

"So, never have I ever...slept with a guy."

"What! No fair!"

Josh quirked an eyebrow at her.

"What's wrong, Charlotte? Can't handle losing?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips. She _hated_ losing, but she wasn't going to tell Josh that. If he wanted to play rough then fine. She could play rough too. Looking towards the bar, she saw a man pick up a shot glass and knock it back. Trying to imitate him, she picked up the shot and tossed it back quick, swallowing.

Good wasn't exactly the word she would use to describe the drink, but it was definitely strong. She cringed and squeezed her eyes shut. It had a kick that gave her chills, but it warmed her throat and stomach, which she didn't mind. She slammed the glass down, and looked Josh in the eye. He had a crooked smile on his face, which made Charlotte feel warm in places other than her stomach. She squirmed and cleared her throat.

"My turn." She thought for a minute before asking her question. She wanted to ask something that would make him drink, and she thought of just the thing.

"Never have I ever owned a car."

He looked shocked as he pulled a shot towards him.

"Never owned a car, huh? How the hell did you manage that?" He asked as he downed the shot easily. She noticed that he barely flinched when he swallowed.

"Well, I grew up in a small town. Everything was nearby, so I didn't need one. And even when I did, my ex insisted on driving me everywhere. Once I moved here for school, I couldn't affo-...I mean, I didn't want one."

"Fair enough," he said. "Never have I ever fallen asleep in class."

"Oh come on. I don't believe that. Never ever? Not even in high school?"

He shook his head as she took her shot.

"I didn't go to high school."

This piqued her interest, and she looked at him questioningly. He shrugged.

"My Dad didn't see the need to send us to high school since he expected us to work at his company and inherit it one day. Your turn."

Charlotte wanted to know more, but she also wanted to win. She only had one shot left though, and Josh still had two. She tried to think, which was hard because the alcohol was making her brain feel fuzzy, and for some reason she though it was a good idea to drink the rest of her rum and coke in an attempt to clear her thoughts. It didn't really help.

"Hmm...never have I ever...owned a million dollars."

_Where the fuck did that come from?_ She thought. That was dumb, there was no way she was winning now. But she was shocked when Josh pulled a shot towards him, his eyes dark.

"Was that a guess?" He took the shot.

She gaped at him and nodded. He owned a million dollars? Oh my god. No wonder he was so liberal with his spending. She couldn't believe she had guessed that.

"It was a total shot in the dark. I...wow. How-?"

He interrupted her.

"Never have I ever gone drinking with my professor."

_Shit!_ She grabbed the last shot roughly, annoyed that she had lost. She drained the shot, and scowled at Josh. But he simply raised an eyebrow at her and motioned to the last shot.

"Forgetting something?"

"What?"

"You lost. So you have to take the last remaining shot."

She stared at it. She was already feeling pretty drunk, but the shots were making her bold, so she grasped it and knocked it back fast, barely cringing that time. Setting it down, she maintained eye contact with him and licked the remaining crème off her lips. His gaze became intense and she felt her cheeks redden. He checked his watch, then looked back at her and signaled the waitress. She was at his side in an instant, looking at him anxiously, but Josh's eyes had returned to Charlotte.

"My bill, please."

The waitress nodded and rushed off, returning quickly with the bill. Josh threw down a fifty, which Charlotte was sure was far too much, but the waitress wasn't complaining since Josh told her to keep the change. She left, and Josh leaned forward, folding his hands on the table.

"Ready to get going?"

Charlotte's blood rushed through her veins, her heart pounding in anticipation. She had a feeling what would happen once they reached Josh's apartment, and she wasn't necessarily opposed.

"Yes, please."

He smiled at her and stood up from the table. Charlotte rushed to follow suit, but stumbled a little when she stood. She was very dizzy, but she loved the feeling, and giggled when Josh caught her. He, on the other hand, wasn't the least bit unstable.

"Woah. Can't handle you're liquor, Miss Matthews?"

Charlotte grimaced at him, but ended up laughing anyway.

"Don't judge me. I've never done shots before."

She found her balance and stood up straight, grateful she was wearing flats and not heels. She started to walk off, when she realized Josh was still standing at the table. He looked flustered.

"You've _never_ done shots? Why didn't you tell me? I never would have..." he sighed. "Well, that explains a lot. Are you going to be alright?"

She giggled again, and motioned for him to come closer. He did, and she grabbed his lapel, leaning forward. The liquor had also made her flirtatious, and she was eager to flirt with him for once.

"I'll be _much_ better when we get back to your place," she said in his ear.

She could hear his sharp intake of breath, and she stepped back slightly so she could see him. He looked surprised, but pleased non-the-less. He smiled at her, and her knees shook, but she stood her ground. He reached forward and grabbed her shoulders, slowly turning her around and pressing up against her back. He tucked her hair behind her ear, and whispered into it.

"Be careful what you wish for, Miss Matthews. You may just get what you want, and I'll be more than happy to give it to you." He ran his hands down her arms and rested them on her hips. She groaned, and she felt him smile. "Let's go."


	13. Chapter 13

Less than an hour later, they burst into his apartment, laughing uncontrollably. Charlotte stopped laughing long enough to catch her breath and kick her shoes off. It was nearly one in the morning, but she didn't feel tired in the least bit. Josh had removed his blazer and was hanging it up on a hook by the door. He loosened his tie, but didn't remove it, which Charlotte was fine with. She took this opportunity to stare at him in his casual state. She had only ever seen him in his dress clothes, except for the one time she saw him in his work out clothes, and she was seriously enjoying the view. He seemed so much more relaxed. Smiling, she pulled her eyes away from him and picked up her bag.

"Where can I put this?" She asked.

"We can put that in the guest bedroom," he said, and he pulled the bag from her grasp and started down the hall. Charlotte was slightly disappointed that she wouldn't be in his room. She hastened to follow him, but stumbled a little trying to catch up and knocked into a side table. Everything on it wobbled precariously, but nothing fell over thankfully. Steadying herself, she continued down the hall, looking for Josh.

She finally found him in a bedroom just off the dining room; he had set her bag in an armchair and was turning on the lamp on the bedside table while Charlotte looked around. The bed was huge by her standards; it was piled with throw pillows and it covered in a slate gray comforter. She noticed that the rest of the room was light blue and gray, with two floor to ceiling windows on the outside wall. And on the opposite side...

"Is that a bathroom?"

She walked towards the door and opened it, but it wasn't a bathroom at all. Instead, it was a huge walk in closet. Josh flicked the light on for her, and she turned around.

"That is a closet. The bathroom is over here," he motioned to a door next to the closet, which Charlotte had initially not noticed because the door she came in had blocked it when it was open. Josh opened the door for her, and she stepped into a huge bathroom, complete with a two person shower and everything else a bathroom should have. It was probably the same size as the bedroom in her apartment. She turned towards Josh, thoroughly impressed.

"If this is the _guest_ bathroom, what does your bathroom look like?"

He thought about it for a moment, searching for the words.

"It's...comparable."

"Comparable huh? Can I see it?"

She was expecting him to say yes, but instead he hesitated then shook his head.

"Maybe later. Would you like something to eat?"

Her stomach rumbled, and for a moment she contemplated eating. She was trying to decide what sounded good when her eyes settled on Josh. His arms were folded across his chest, his silver tie hanging loosely around his neck while he leaned against the door frame, and he looked absolutely delectable. Charlotte licked her lips and began to walk towards him, but he turned away at that moment and walked back into the bedroom. _Oh no_, she thought. _You aren't getting away that easily. _She followed him into the room, trying to bait him by looking extra sexy, but he had already exited into the dining room. She started to pursue him, but paused. Josh didn't seem like the type to be baited. And he didn't seem like the type to just disappear on a guest like this. _What is he planning? _

She entered the dining room with renewed caution. It was dark and she stopped, waiting for her eyes to adjust. Her head was still swimming, and she was trying to gain her focus back. Before she could though, she was grabbed from behind. She screamed and laughed, knowing that it was Josh who had sneaked up on her. He held her tightly, and laughed softly in her ear.

"You weren't trying to sneak up on me, were you Miss Matthews?"

She giggled and struggled against him, but his grip on her was strong.

"No! Well, maybe. Let me go, Josh!"

She squirmed again, which caused him to laugh more.

"I thought you were hungry though?"

She stopped moving. His voice had become husky, and she wondered if he was implying what she thought he was implying. Before she could answer though, he spoke again.

"Do not think I didn't notice the way you were ogling me, Miss Matthews. I know what you want, and it is _not_ food. Am I wrong?"

She inhaled sharply, and shook her head.

"Tell me," he said.

She wasn't expecting that, and she hesitated, stuttering to find the words. In the past, she never had to tell her lovers what she wanted. They simply did what they felt, and she took what she could get. Now that she had the option to ask for what she wanted, she was at a loss.

"Hmm. Maybe I was wrong?"

She gasped as he began to loosen his grip from her waist.

"No! I mean, you're right. I...I want..."

"Yes?"

She was blushing furiously, but she set her jaw, determined to just say what he wanted her to say.

"I want you."

Charlotte felt him smile against her neck, and suddenly he lifted her up, throwing her over his shoulder. She squealed loudly, the change in position causing the dizziness to intensify, and she was thankful that Josh held her tight. If she were on her feet she would've toppled over.

"Josh! Where are you taking me?"

He shifted her on his shoulder, grunting.

"You wanted to see my room, didn't you? Now's as good a time as ever."

A few seconds later, he set her on her feet. They were in another room, the only light coming from the huge floor-to-ceiling windows that boasted a spectacular view of the city. From what she could see, there was a large four poster bed directly in front of her, and several large frames decorating the walls, though she couldn't make out their contents in the dimness. She didn't have long to look around though, because Josh had wrapped his arms around her, closing the small gap between them, and his lips had found her's in the dark.

Charlotte would swear that she felt small shocks on her lips as they moved together, fighting for control. He pulled away momentarily, giving her a moment to catch her breath, then met her lips again, this time indicating for her to open her mouth. She did, and he slipped his tongue inside, tasting every inch of her mouth. She moaned, and moved her hands up his chest, beginning to unbutton his shirt. His hands slipped under her shirt, and unhooked her bra with a twist of his wrist. Just as quickly, he pulled her shirt over her head. Impressed, she pulled back from him, gasping.

"Had a lot of practice with that, have you?"

His smile was cocky, and he was obviously pleased with himself.

"I wasn't exaggerating when I used the word experienced, Miss Matthews. Would you like to see what other skills I've perfected?"

Apparently, Professor Hutcherson was in no shortage of pride and Charlotte snorted. Which turned out to be a bad idea. He stopped and took a small step back.

"Do you doubt me Miss Matthews?"

"Umm..."

He didn't wait for her to answer. Instead, he picked her up again and tossed her on the bed, not hesitating to crawl on top of her, and slowly slide his hand up her chest and under her bra, which he slipped off of her. Charlotte was experiencing an overload of sensation. Her breasts were exposed to the cool air, causing her nipples to perk. Josh was laying between her legs, his arousal pressing against her from beneath his pants. The alcohol was still causing her head to spin, and she had noticed that the bed beneath her was extremely comfortable. She closed her eyes and moaned as Josh's mouth closed over her breast, licking and sucking as his hand pawed the other one. But by closing her eyes, she was slammed by a wave of exhaustion. She stifled a yawn, trying desperately to focus on the amount of pleasure at her disposal, but the fatigue was overcoming her, and she regrettably slipped into unconsciousness while Josh continued to kiss her and explore her body, unaware that he was now flying solo.

"Charlotte.." he moaned as he gripped at her hips.

She didn't answer, and he stopped, noticing that she had also stopped moving.

"Charlotte?" He looked at her face, and finally saw that her eyes were closed and her breathing even. She had a soft smile on her lips, and she looked so peaceful that he didn't have the heart to wake her. He sighed, and carefully rolled off of her onto the other side of the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, he regretted introducing Charlotte to shots. She obviously couldn't handle her liquor quite as well as himself yet, and it had just as quickly caught up to her. He turned his head to look at her, breathing softly and looking positively angelic in her sleep. Careful not to wake her, he covered her with the throw on the end of his bed and softly brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. He then sat up and strode into the bathroom to shower.

_Charlotte opened the door, allowing Rem to enter her home. She was anxious, beyond anxious actually, as he pulled her into a one armed hug, kissing her hair roughly and grabbing at her ass. He was well over six feet tall, with dark hair and brown eyes, and he nearly had to duck his head to fit his large frame through the door. _

_"Hey baby. You got any food?"_

_Charlotte rolled her eyes as he marched into the kitchen, opening up the fridge and pulling out the makings of a sandwich. Charlotte stood in the doorway, waiting patiently for him to ask her about her letter, but he busied himself with his lunch. She took a deep breath, steadying her nerves._

_"Rem? I...I got my letter today."_

_Rem grunted to let her know that he heard her, but continued to layer meat and cheese onto the bread. They had been together for a little over a year now, and although Rem wasn't the most attentive boyfriend, he made sure she had what she needed. He never laid a hand on her, which was more than her ex's could say. This was her longest lasting relationship, and she was eager to make it her _last_ relationship. She was committed, but she didn't know how he would react to her leaving for school in a month. _

_"I got in. Term starts in six weeks." _

_Rem stopped what he was doing and set down the knife he had been using to spread mayonnaise on his bread. He straightened up and stared at the wall, his lips pursed. Slowly, he turned towards her. _

_"You what?"_

_His voice was steely and she held her breath. Rem had a bad temper, and she was tensing herself against his anger._

_"NYU. They accepted me. I have to go to New York in a few weeks to fill out forms for financial aid and start looking for a place to live. At this point most of the dorms are probably full and-"_

_"You're leaving then."_

_She shuddered to a stop. This is what she had been dreading, but she had to try. All she wanted was to convince Rem that a long distance relationship was entirely possible and that she was willing stay committed to him, even from across the state. _

_"Yes, I...Rem I have to. I've been working towards this all throughout high school. It's a great school, and they have an excellent program in Psychology. We can still make this work, Rem. Please."_

_He had finished assembling his sandwich, and was now wrapping it carefully into a paper towel. He then picked it up off the counter and started for the door. Charlotte refused to let him leave without even talking to her, so she started after him. _

_"Rem! Wait! Can't we talk about this?"_

_He stopped at the door and whipped around. _

_"No. We can't talk about this. Because I told you when we graduated that I didn't _want_ you to go away to school. I wanted you here, with me. Yet you applied anyway, selfishly, completely ignoring me and my wants and needs. And now you expect me to support you in this? No way. I hope NYU is worth it, because you're giving up a hell of a lot for this Charlotte. You had your chance."_

_He pushed his way through the door, slamming it in her face. She wanted to run after him, but her pride held her in her place. She tried desperately to fight back the tears that formed in her eyes, but eventually they pooled over, spilling silently down her face. Turning, she slowly began to climb the stairs to her room. _

The sound of sizzling reached Charlotte's ears, and she groaned, rolling over in bed, pulling the sheets over her head. She heard a slight pop, and her eyes opened as the smell of bacon filled her nostrils. Inhaling deeply, she sat straight up in bed and looked around, taking in her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was her shirt. It was a dark green t-shirt that was made of some sort of cotton, and it was big on her and very comfortable. The next thing she noticed was the room. It was painted a light gray with bright white trim, and the sheet she was covered in was almost black. The bed frame was a dark wood, possibly mahogany, and when she swung her feet over the bed they sank into a plush, dark rug that sat under the bed. Light was streaming through the windows, and Charlotte glanced around, searching for a clock. She finally found one on the bedside table. It told her that it was half past eight, still a little early for her after last night. Struggling to think through her headache, she stood up and padded across the room, following the smell of coffee and breakfast that was wafting from the kitchen.

She found Josh, standing in front of a stove with a white apron tied around his waist over a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a black v-neck. He was flipping something on the stove as a toaster next to him popped up, revealing four slices of perfectly browned toast. He turned to retrieve them from the toaster when he caught her lingering by the bar stools.

"Good Morning, have a seat. Would you like some coffee?"

Charlotte clambered awkwardly into a stool, remembering the last time that she sat here. She squirmed and tried to hide the blush that was blooming on her cheeks.

"Um, yes please. Do you have cream and sugar?"

He smiled at her brightly, and handed her a cup of coffee then pointed at two dishes against the wall.

"The one on the left is sugar. I hope you're as hungry as I am, because I'm making a feast."

Charlotte began spooning sugar into her cup while he reached into a cupboard and pulled down a few plates, then began loading them with all kinds of breakfast foods. Toast, eggs, sausage, hash browns and finally, bacon. Setting one in front of her, he sat on the stool next to her and seasoned his fried eggs with salt and pepper. Charlotte stared at him curiously, then regarded her own plate. It all looked and smelled delicious, and it had been years since she had a real breakfast. Her mouth watered in anticipation, and she began to cut up her egg, which was done to perfection.

"I didn't know you could cook," she said between bites.

He nodded and swallowed.

"Yeah, it's something I've just always had a nack for and I really enjoy. Just don't request anything bread related. They take forever to make and I rarely have the patience for it."

She thought about that while she chewed through her toast. She never pegged the Professor as someone who could cook. In fact, none of the guys she had ever dated could cook, unless you count being able to put a sandwich together. Instead, she imagined a sweet old lady cooking all his meals, cleaning, and shopping while he was out.

"Did someone teach you?"

"In a way. My Dad simply noticed that I had a talent that he could use towards his advantage."

She finished her breakfast and pushed the plate away. She was about to ask him to elaborate on that when he continued on his own.

"My Dad is the CEO of a restaurant supply chain, and he also owns several restaurants back home. When I started showing an aversion to taking over the company, he figured that he would allow me to go to culinary school, then he would make me the head chef in one of his restaurants. That way I'd still be in the family business, see? But by the time I was 18, I had already decided that I wanted to be a Psychologist. We had a huge fight when he found out, and I left. Haven't spoken to him since."

Charlotte cinched her brows together, surprised that he had been so forthcoming.

"And how long has that been?"

He thought for a moment.

"Just about...ten years."

She choked on her coffee.

"Your 28?!"

"27 actually. I won't be 28 for another few months. Why?"

She daubed the coffee off her chin and off the counter.

"Nothing. I just...I thought you were so much younger. Closer to my age. Not that it matters. I don't mind older guys," she rambled.

"Closer to your age? How old are you?"

She pursed her lips.

"22."

He nodded, then stood up to clean up breakfast. Charlotte sipped her coffee, thinking about last night. She remembered being carried into bed, then nothing else. Furthermore, she wanted to know how she ended up in Josh's shirt. _Oh my god,_ she thought. _What if we...? _Her cheeks were probably the color of a tomato by now, but she had to know.

"Did we...have sex last night?"

He closed up the dishwasher and turned towards her, drying his hands on a dish towel.

"Almost. You fell asleep before we got that far. Don't you remember?"

She shook her head, staring into the bottom of her coffee mug. That explained the shirt. He must've dressed her after she passed out. She would have been absolutely mortified if they had finally, _finally_ had sex only to discover the next morning that she could no longer remember it. She sighed, relieved that wasn't the case, and drained the rest of her coffee. Josh walked across the kitchen, and leaned on the bar.

"Are you disappointed Charlotte? Or relieved?"

She looked him in the eye.

"A little of both, honestly. Disappointed that I've been wanting you for what seems like months now, and I still haven't gotten what I wanted. Relieved that we didn't do it when I can't remember much from last night. Although, whatever we did, it must've been good because I slept like a baby."

He laughed.

"That was probably from the shots. But don't be disappointed. I have every intention of giving you what you want, and I'll make sure you remember it when we do. Deal?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Deal."


	14. Chapter 14

Several hours later, Josh was answering the door. He had ordered dinner for them from an Italian restaurant this time; lasagna and bread sticks, one of Charlotte's favorites. The concierge handed over the food, which Josh exchanged for a large tip. They walked into his dining room, which Josh had set with care. He had set out fine china, linen napkins, and even lit a few candles. Charlotte was impressed with his attention to detail, and she complimented him for it. They plated their food, and Josh poured wine for the both of them. It was white this time, and Charlotte sniffed it cautiously before sipping it. It was slightly sweet and citrusy, settling nicely on her palate. She dug into her food and for a while, the only sound was their forks and knives scraping on the plates.

"You know, we never fully finished our dinner conversation."

Charlotte looked at him curiously.

"Remember? The night that Conner paid me a surprise visit."

_Oh, _she thought, that_ conversation._ Setting her fork down, she swallowed, and quickly gulped down her wine.

"Hmm. Proceed with your questions then Professor, and I will answer them to the best of my abilities."

He looked at her excitedly, anticipation sparkling in his eyes as he pushed his plate away, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Tell me about your past relationships."

She thought that was an awfully tame question and she told him so, causing him to laugh.

"It's not as innocent as you think. I want to know_ all_ aspects of your past relationships. Particularly the details of your sex life."

She choked on her last sip of wine, regretting that she had pointed it out to begin with.

"Fair enough I guess. I...I don't really know where to start."

"Well, I believe you had mentioned that you have been with, what was it, three men? Tell me about them. Start with your first time."

She noticed that he was entirely comfortable with asking such a personal question, and it was slightly disconcerting. She took a deep breath and sat back in her chair.

"Alright. I was...I think 19 at the time. I had been dating this guy from a community college for a few months, and we were swimming at midnight in the middle of July."

Josh raised an eyebrow at her, and she stared at him.

"What? It was nice at the time. Anyway, he dared me to take off my swim suit, and I told him I would as long he did too. One thing lead to another, and I ended up losing my virginity on a beach towel. There was sand stuck in my...well, let's just say it wasn't that great. Turns out he was just using me and he disappeared after that. Truthfully, I wasn't very upset.

"I was single for a while after that, and the following summer my best friend, Casey, took me to a club. It was one of the few times I drank a little too much and ended up having a one-night stand with some guy in the men's room. I never found out his name, and although I recall him being very talented, I can't be sure since I was pretty inebriated."

Josh scowled, and Charlotte thought she saw anger behind his eyes, but she couldn't be sure. Regardless, he motioned for her to continue.

"Several months later, I met Rem. We met at a coffee shop near where I lived, and hit it off immediately. He was a gentleman, and took me out plenty of times before we slept together."

Josh cleared his throat and leaned forward.

"And was he also 'talented'?"

Charlotte flushed, and looked around the room; anywhere but at Josh.

"We dated for a year and a half so yes. He was _very_ talented."

This time, his eyes did darken with jealousy, though only for a moment before it passed. He glanced at her curiously and gave her a crooked smile that made her dizzy.

"Really? How so?"

She didn't think it was possibly, but she blushed more as she stuttered to find the right words.

"Well he was...attentive and-"

"Was he adventurous? Did he keep things exciting?"

"How do you mean?"

"Did he try new things with you? Such as new positions, or varieties in foreplay?"

Charlotte gazed longingly at her now empty wine glass, wishing that it would refill itself. This was turning out to be a much more in depth conversation than she had planned.

"He kind of...had a repertoire of sorts of positions. As for foreplay...that wasn't really his thing."

Josh furrowed his brow and gazed at her quizzically.

"A repertoire? And no foreplay? Charlotte, that wasn't good sex. That was monotony. Why did you put up with that?"

He had a pained look on his face, as if she had just informed him that she had never had cake before, or something equally terrible. She shrugged her shoulders.

"What? I've never known any better, and at the time I had no complaints. It's not like I had much to compare it to anyway."

Josh rubbed a hand through his hair and mumbled something that sounded like 'I'll show you better', but Charlotte couldn't be sure. He then looked up, a wolfish grin complimenting his attractive face.

"I guess I have a lot to teach you then, not that I'm complaining. Which brings me to my next question: Is there anything you're opposed to doing?"

She thought about that for a while. _I guess he's got a point, maybe I'm not as experienced as I thought. _

"Umm...I don't think I'd be in to any of that hot wax stuff or whipping."

She turned an even deeper shade of crimson and carefully examined the stitching on her shirt. Josh stared at her, which made Charlotte squirm in her chair.

"You don't have to worry about any hot wax or whips. Wax is much more messy than people let on anyway, and I'll never intentionally cause you pain. That's just not my style. If anything else comes up...well, we'll address that later." He smiled at her seductively. Before she could ask him what that meant, he continued. "We'll start out small. I want you to get the full experience that you've been missing out on. Also, I need to know: are you on any kind of birth control?"

She cleared her throat, but nodded.

"Of course. I've been on the pill for months."

"Excellent. Now, would you care for some dessert?"

He stood up quickly, changing the subject and gathering their plates. Charlotte was unsure what to say. She wanted to know what he had meant by 'starting out small', but he had gotten her attention by saying dessert. She licked her lips excitedly and nodded.

"What did you have in mind?"

He laughed over his shoulder as he walked towards his kitchen.

"You'll see."

She heard him place their dishes in the kitchen, followed by the distinct sound of a refrigerator door opening and closing. His footsteps approached, and he soon came through the doorway carrying a plate of...

"Is that chocolate cake?" She asked excitedly.

He glanced at her mischievously as he set the plate in front of her and sat down directly to her left.

"To be exact, it is _double _chocolate cake. It's one of my favorites."

Charlotte's mouth watered. It looked absolutely delectable, and she couldn't wait to dig in. She reached for her fork, only to realize there wasn't one on the plate. Checking either side, she discovered there wasn't one there either. Frowning, she looked at Josh, confused. He wore a sly smile as he held up a fork.

"Looking for one of these?"

She reached for it, only for him to pull it out of her reach, smiling playfully.

"Ah ah. Patience. I want to feed you the first bite, then you may have the fork."

_He wants to what?_ She thought. She kind of figured that he was controlling, but she didn't realize he was _this_ controlling. Gazing at the cake longingly, she weighed her options and finally conceded to let him feed her or whatever it was that he wanted to do. He smiled, content that she had given in, and scooped a bite of the cake onto the fork. He raised it to her mouth, and waited for her to open. When she did, he slid the fork in, allowing her to indulge. She maintained eye contact with him as she chewed and swallowed, blissfully aware of the sensual glean in his eyes.

Darting her tongue out, she retrieved any stray chocolate from her lips. The cake was amazing to say the least, and she couldn't wait to finish the piece. Josh happily handed over the fork, and watched her eat, savoring each bite. She would moan in appreciation each time the cake passed her lips, which led to Josh having to discreetly adjust himself under the table when she wasn't looking. When she was finished, she pushed the plate aside and leaned back in her chair, completely sated.

"That was amazing. Thank you."

She looked at him and smiled appreciatively, and he smiled back.

"You missed some chocolate," he said, casually pointing to her lip.

"What? Where?" She tried in vain to remove it, but she kept missing it.

"Here, allow me," he said. Leaning forward, he brought her lips to his, and pulled her bottom lip into his mouth, sucking and biting lightly. She eagerly returned the kiss, but just as she was about to pull him closer, he backed away with a smug look on his face.

"Got it," he said. Picking up the plate, he started to exit into the kitchen, but Charlotte stopped him.

"Wait. Aren't you going to have any?"

He smiled seductively. "I've already had it," he said, then continued into his kitchen, leaving Charlotte in the doorway. She hurried after him. She wasn't very pleased with him getting away like this, and she wasn't finished with him yet. She entered the kitchen just as he placed the plate into the sink. He turned around, and took note of the hungry look that had grown in her eyes. But he pretended not to notice, and walked past her, stretching and yawning theatrically.

"I am _so_ tired. I think I'll turn in early..."

That did it. She pounced, pinning him against the nearest wall.

"Excuse me. But what gives you the right to kiss me like _that_ and then casually wander off?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her, his eyes burning.

"Who ever said I was finished?"

That caught her by surprise, and she lowered her guard long enough for Josh to grab her shoulders and switch their positions. Now she was cornered, and he gripped her wrists, leaving no chance for escape, not that she wanted to.

"First thing you need to learn, Miss Matthews. I very much prefer to _always_ be in control during our sexual encounters, and you would do well to remember that. Is that clear?"

She nodded breathlessly, having no problem agreeing with anything he would say at that moment. He could have told her that the sky was green and she would have agreed. All she wanted was for him to take her to bed, so they could continue their kiss in there.

"Now, tell me what you want."

She swallowed. His aggressiveness made her head fuzzy, making it impossible for her to string to words together.

"I can wait all day, Miss Matthews."

She gasped as he tantalized her by nipping and licking at her jawline, persuading her to answer him. But she couldn't think straight, and all she could manage was a soft groan in response. Sighing, he suddenly stopped his advances and looked down at her.

"Charlotte, if you don't tell me what you want, I'll assume that you want me to stop. Is that what you would you prefer?"

She shook her head frantically. She definitely did _not_ want him to stop, but rather continue so they could move on to better things. His hazel eyes were clouded with desire, and his gaze froze her to the spot. She shakily took a breath, trying to clear her head and find the words to tell him.

"I-I don't want you to stop."

He smirked at her complacently.

"Hm. That's better. What else?"

She knew she was blushing furiously, and she adverted her eyes as she continued.

"I want you to keep going. Make me yours."

She heard him inhale sharply and he leaned closer, his lips at her ear.

"See? Was that so hard? Now I can continue knowing that you asked me to."

He pressed up against her, running his hands down her side and around to her ass, gripping it firmly. He leaned in closer, pressing his lips to hers and sliding his tongue into her mouth. He explored her mouth with his tongue while his hands explored her body, touching and gripping softly. She moaned appreciatively, flexing her hips against his to indicate she wanted more. This did not go unnoticed to Josh; he chuckled softly and grabbed her hand, leading her into his bedroom.

They stood together next to the bed, breathing heavily, and Charlotte wasted no time getting Josh out of his clothes. She reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt as fast as her fingers would go. When she undid the last one, she pushed it off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor. He was gorgeous like this, with the moonlight streaming in from the windows and accenting all his hard lines and muscles.

She reached out to begin undoing his belt, but he stopped her. Instead, he began undressing her by pulling her shirt over her head and tossing it to the ground. He then started on her jeans, which he made quick work of. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of him in her black bra and panties, her heart racing. Reaching behind her, she undid her bra, letting it fall to join the rest of her clothes on the floor. He hummed in appreciation, admiring her soft curves and well-shaped breasts.

She was suddenly pushed onto the bed, Josh crawling on top of her. He drank her in, slowly dragging a finger down her sternum between her breasts and playing along the top of her panty line. She sighed, angling her hips to increase the contact. In response, Josh gripped her hips and roughly pulled her panties off. Charlotte thought he was going to end the foreplay there, but instead he began focusing on her breasts, massaging and palming one while licking and sucking the other. She moaned loudly and whimpered, practically begging him for more. That's when she realized: he _wanted_ her to beg, and he was unlikely to continue until she did.

"Josh-" she groaned.

His eyes met her's and she gasped. His gaze was dark and seductive, and she felt a fire light in her stomach. She threw all shyness out the window, she needed him. Now.

"Josh, please. Do it."

He smiled at her excitedly and sat back on his heels to begin undoing his jeans.

"I thought you'd never ask."

After his belt was out of the way, he pushed his jeans and boxer briefs off together, throwing them into some obscure corner of the room. She stared at him. Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn't nearly as good as what was displayed before her. He looked like a Greek god, all muscle and hard lines and length. To top it off, he knew how good he looked to her, and that she wouldn't be able to keep her eyes off him.

Kneeling between her legs, he reached between them to stroke her. She was very wet, which he had been expecting, and he pushed a finger inside her, quickly followed by a second. He curled them inside her, slowly pumping them in and out to stretch her, eliciting a loud cry from Charlotte. He had intended to tease her longer, but after that he could wait no longer. Withdrawing his fingers, he placed himself at her entrance and looked at her. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her mouth was open, breathing heavily.

"Charlotte."

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Keep your eyes on mine. I want to see you."

She swallowed and nodded, and slowly, agonizingly slow, he pushed inside her. She gasped and he paused, letting her adjust to his size. When she started to flex her hips against him, he started moving, and her cries became louder with each thrust of his hips. She felt the pressure begin building, pressure that she hadn't felt in so long, and began clawing at his back, coaxing him keep going.

"Josh-oh faster-"

He pushed faster and harder, sweat beading on his forehead. She was so close, and she squeezed her eyes shut as the tension grew.

"Open your eyes Charlotte. I want to see you when you come," he panted.

She did as she was told, and opened her eyes. Hazel met brown and she exploded around him, squeezing and pulsing into ecstasy. He groaned at the feeling of her walls around him, and continued to thrust as he also grew closer to climax. He gasped out her name as he reached his finish, gripping her back tightly and burying himself deeper inside her. She felt him empty inside her, and she sighed contentedly, running her hands through his hair and planting kisses on his neck. Slowly, he pulled out of her and collapsed. She could feel his heart hammering against her chest, almost in synch with her own.

"That. Was. Amazing," she breathed.

Josh laughed quietly as he rolled off of her, slowly sitting up on the side of his bed and pulling his boxer briefs on.

"That? That was simply a taste of my usual prowess. You had me too excited, I couldn't last any longer."

"Only a taste? What is it usually like then?" She asked.

He twisted around to smile at her handsomely.

"I guess you'll have to stick around to find out."

He laughed at the look on her face, and picked up his shirt as he walked into the bathroom. Charlotte fell back into the bed, wondering what she had gotten herself into, but not regretting it one bit.


	15. Chapter 15

Josh woke early the next morning to sunlight streaming through his large bedroom windows. He stared at the ceiling, mentally running through the events of last night. It had been months since he had slept that well, and he would have been more than happy to go back to sleep for an hour or two, but he regrettably made himself roll out of bed.

He stared at the sleeping form next to him, her dark hair obscuring her face. Her breathing was slow and steady, indicating that she had no intention of waking anytime soon. He reached out and slowly brushed her hair away from her face. Josh couldn't help but think how peaceful she looked while asleep, and he felt his heart flutter when she sighed happily, a small smile forming on her face. He returned her smile and withdrew his hand, then turned away from her, pulling himself from the bed.

Charlotte inhaled deeply and snuggled back into her pillow. She had been having the best dream about Josh and his bed and sex...her eyes snapped open. She was tangled in the dark sheets of Josh's bed, and she closed her eyes against the bright sunshine that filled the room. The smell of Josh's cologne reached her nose, and she rolled over to reach him, only to realize the bed was empty and cold. Confused, she groaned and sat up, her eyes searching the room for him. The apartment was quiet, and there were no scents of breakfast perfuming the room this time. She swung her legs over the bed and searched the floor for her clothes, but they weren't anywhere in sight. She searched the rest of the room, but still, nothing. Charlotte shivered against the air, and finally settled for wrapping herself in the sheet. Standing up, she crossed the room and picked a door, hoping to find Josh's closet. She was lucky enough to find it on her first try, and she turned on the light before stepping in.

It was huge, much bigger than the closet in the guest room. Rows of clothes lined each wall, and the back wall held a large display which was filled with racks of shoes and drawers of ties. Opening one of the drawers, she saw that it held blue and green ties, all laid out by color. She fingered the silk, letting the fabric run over her skin like water, then carefully set it back in it's place and turned to what appeared to be casual t-shirts. Selecting one that looked more worn and smaller than the others, she began opening drawers until she found a pair of boxers that would fit her, then turned off the light and walked into the bathroom to shower.

Josh's shower wasn't exactly stocked for women, so she wrapped the sheet around her tighter and dashed across the apartment to the guest room to retrieve her toiletries. But her bag wasn't where she left it. Now she was even more confused. Settling for Josh's shampoo, she hopped in his shower and let the warm water relax her.

Shortly after, she was rummaging through the fridge to find something to eat. Josh kept the fridge well stocked it seemed, but nearly everything needed to be cooked, and she wasn't very good at that. She did manage to find some bread though, and popped a slice in the toaster before slathering on some peanut butter. She was just trying to figure out Josh's fancy coffee machine when the sound of the door opening sounded through the apartment and Josh came around the corner laden with bags.

"Hello there," he said with a smile. "I see you've had breakfast." He gestured pointedly at her half slice of toast, then dragged his eyes up and down her body. "Are those my boxers? And my shirt?"

Charlotte looked down at her attire then met the mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Yeah...actually, about that. Where did you hide my clothes?"

He smiled at her crookedly.

"Don't tell me you object to being naked all the time? I find you very agreeable without clothes."

She grimaced at him and he laughed, shaking his head.

"They're in the wash and you're bag is in the hall closet. I didn't think you would need anything before I got back."

She nodded then curiously examined the bags.

"Did some shopping this morning? Buy anything exciting?"

Peering in one of the bags, she saw a few white boxes. She grew more suspicious when the next bag also held white boxes. She set her gaze on Josh, who began to shuffle his feet nervously.

"Josh. What did you do?"

Charlotte began rummaging through the boxes. The first one revealed a creamy ivory top with cap sleeves and a plunging neckline. Not only did it look expensive, but it felt expensive. The fabric reminded her of Josh's ties, although the memory didn't exactly make her feel better. Replacing the lid, she opened the remaining boxes. Ten boxes later, she was surrounded by two new pairs of jeans, a pair of dress pants, two sets of lacy lingerie, four new tops, and a casual (yet nice) dress. She didn't know what to do with everything, especially the lingerie, and she didn't know what to say to Josh.

"Are you unhappy?"

She looked up at him and saw concern in his eyes, which caused her to bite back whatever she had planned to say to make him take it all back. Instead, she forced a smile and thanked him for his generosity. But Josh saw right through her.

"Charlotte. Please be honest with me."

Looking up at him, she sighed and gestured to all the boxes.

"It's just...this is so much. And it's so soon, I mean we've barely been together a week! I guess it's all just very overwhelming for me."

She twisted his t-shirt in her hands while she stared at her lap.

"I...you're right. I couldn't help but notice that you could use some new clothes. Those jeans you had on yesterday were really worn out and the edges were frayed. I intended to only pick up a few new pair, but my personal shopper got slightly carried away, and insisted on putting together several outfits. I should have asked you first, I'm sorry. I can have them returned."

Charlotte noticed that he was trying not to look too dejected, so she sat up and smiled at him.

"It's alright, I understand. And you're right. I did need new clothes...how about this? I'll meet you halfway. I'll select what I need the most, and we can return what I won't use. I get some new clothes and you'll be happy. You get some of you're money back, and I'll be happy. See?"

She started sorting the boxes into separate keep and return piles. Josh walked around the counter in a few short steps, embracing her tightly and placing his lips beneath her ear. She gasped at his sudden intimacy, but wrapped her arms around him anyway. He flinched slightly, and they separated, Josh staring into her eyes like he had never seen her before. He didn't know what to say, or how to handle the thoughts that were swirling around his mind. He barely knew the young woman in his arms, yet he already felt a level of affection and protection over her that he had never felt towards any other girl before. Then there was the problem of her being his student. If _anyone_ got the idea that they were even seeing each other outside of school...well, it would be immensely problematic for both of them. These sudden realizations soured his mood and he stepped away from her, placing more distance between them as he tried to think things through. He turned to began making himself an espresso, effectively hiding his daunting expression from Charlotte, but she noticed his sudden coldness anyway.

"Josh?"

He busied himself with the espresso, trying to make it seem like he hadn't heard her. He didn't like ignoring her, but speaking his mind wasn't something he wanted at the moment. The machine began to sizzle and froth the milk, making plenty of noise. What to do? He hadn't expected to suddenly become emotionally attached to Charlotte. To be honest, he had expected it to go like every other fling he had in the past. Once he slept with them, it didn't matter how many times they came back, the excitement was gone and so was the attraction. So he would move on to someone new. They never lasted long. But with Charlotte it was different. They had sex, yet he was still attracted to her. He still wanted her, even more so than before and the sudden flare of emotion he felt towards her caught him off guard. It scared the Professor, and he didn't know how to handle it. He turned back towards her, espresso in hand, and caught her retreating back into his bedroom.

"Charlotte?" She didn't answer, and he set his cup down in order to pursue her. "Charlotte, wait."

Just as he reached out to grab her wrist, she whipped around to face him, her eyes inflamed with several emotions that Josh couldn't quite identify. He recoiled, surprised at her reaction, then carefully stepped towards her.

"Charlotte, what's wrong? Was it something I said? If you changed your mind about the clothes, it's perfectly alright. I'll take them back."

"It's not about the _fucking_ clothes, Josh. Why did you bother wrapping your arms around me if you didn't want me to do the same? And then you ignore me afterward? I'm sorry, but I've been through that passive aggressive shit before, and I will not put up with it again."

She pushed past him and stalked to the hall closet, opened the door and removed her bag. She then pulled out her sweats and a tank top, which she had planned to sleep in last night. Josh had silently entered the hall and was watching her from his place by the kitchen. She was angry. _Very_ angry it seemed, and he wasn't sure what to do. Girls didn't get angry with him, and he never made them angry. He pleased them, the complete opposite of the current situation.

Scratching the back of his head to try and come up with something to say, he watched as she suddenly straightened up and met his gaze. Her eyebrows were knitted together and her mouth set into a hard line, then she started stripping off his clothes right in front of him. His jaw dropped as she kicked off his boxer shorts and began to pull on her sweats, forgoing any kind of underwear. After her shirt was on, she swung the bag over her shoulder and began to pull on her flats. That was when he realized she was intending to leave, and he broke out of his trance.

"Charlotte, wait. What are you doing?" He rushed towards her and grasped her shoulders, forcing her to meet his eyes. She sighed and relaxed slightly, but he could still see anger and frustration behind her eyes.

"I'm sorry Charlotte, I...I don't know what to say. This is just as new to me as it is to you, and frankly, I don't know how to handle it. I know that's not an excuse for ignoring you, I'm just trying to help you understand what's going on in my head."

She scowled, but then her features softened.

"I just don't want a repeat of my last relationship, and this is exactly how it started. Whenever I did something wrong or whatever, he would simply ignore me until I couldn't take it anymore and I would go running to him again, begging for him to take me back. I just...you're right. This is new for both of us, and maybe we're taking it too fast, but I think I just need to go home for a few days. Last night was great and all, but I need to think this through. Not to mention the mountain of homework that's waiting for me when I get back."

Josh wanted to fight her, to make her stay with him. But he sighed and nodded, then backed off, letting her have her way. He had no right to make her stay, and if she wanted to leave now, he needed to let her go. But he wasn't admitting defeat.

"Alright Charlotte. If that's what you want. But I'm not giving up on us. I'll give you a few days, but I would feel better if you at least texted or emailed me to let me know you're ok. We still don't know anything about Owen or where he may be."

She nodded in agreement, then turned towards the door. Before he could stop himself though, Josh turned her around and kissed her chastely on the lips. It was odd for him, as he had never kissed a girl goodbye before, not even casually. He had always kept his emotions in check, but Charlotte changed that about him, and he found himself harder to control around her. He drew back and carefully brushed her hair out of her face as she smiled sadly at him. Then he let her go, and he watched her walk out of his apartment.

As Charlotte walked home, she turned over the morning's events in her mind. The wonderful shower she had that morning seemed days away, and she already felt like she wanted another one to relax. She didn't know why she had suddenly lost it with him; she knew he didn't mean anything by it. The sky overhead was overcast again, reflecting her mood. God help her if it rained on her again, there wasn't going to be a good Samaritan that would come to her rescue this time. She put a lot of her reaction down to hormones, as it was getting close to that time. But Josh didn't know that, at least she hoped he didn't, and she should've been able to control herself long enough to be patient with him. Pulling out her phone, she sent a long overdue text to Casey, asking her to call her. Casey was, in Charlotte's mind, an expert on men. Charlotte hoped that she could give her some excellent advice, and possibly help her solve this problem. Her thoughts of Josh and their little fight occupied her mind completely, and she was surprised when she found that her feet had completely carried her home on their own accord. She didn't even realize that it took her nearly forty-five minutes to walk home, nor that the clouds had cleared up during her walk and the sun was beginning to peak out from behind a few wisps.

Climbing the steps, she rummaged into her bag for her keys, and when she couldn't find them immediately, set her bag down to look more thoroughly. They were no where to be found, and she realized she must have left them at Josh's. However, after the theatrical morning she had, her pride wouldn't allow her to call and have him rescue her now, so she lifted up her doormat for her spare. But that was missing too. That's when she noticed that her door was slightly ajar, and she jumped up. Part of her was scared to go in. If someone had broken in (and it appeared that they had), they could still be there. But the other part of her was extremely pissed off that someone would dare to violate her little apartment, and that's how she found her self silently pushing the door open to step into her home.

After a few minutes of quiet searching and inventory, Charlotte concluded that no one was hiding in her apartment, waiting to kill her. She also noticed that nothing was taken. Her computer and small T.V were exactly were she left them, so was everything else of value. This confused and scared her. Why would someone go to all the trouble to break in, but not take anything?

Her phone was in her hand within seconds, and she had almost completely dialed Josh's number when she stopped. Closing her phone, she set it down and made sure to lock her front door. If she called Josh, he would most likely rush over and demand that she return to his place where it was safe. But she didn't want to rely on him, she was perfectly capable of handling herself.

Settling into her computer chair, she booted up her computer, trying to process why someone would break in and leave everything in its place. She didn't know anyone in New York, save for Josh and Owen. But no one had heard from Owen, and it's not like Josh would gain anything from breaking into her apartment. In fact, she was sure that he loathed her apartment after seeing what he was used to. The thought didn't comfort her much, and she decided to chock up the break in to not pulling her door closed enough for it to latch. It was unlikely, but more likely than someone breaking in only to take nothing. She opened her email to send a short message to Casey and her parents. But before she could, she noticed an email from Owen hanging out in her inbox. It was from two nights ago, the night she went to _No. 8_ with Josh. There was no subject, and she debated even opening it. But she _had_ been trying to get a hold of him for weeks, and she couldn't resist the temptation of reading what he had to say, so she clicked on it.

_Charlie,_

_First, I wanted to apologize for how I acted. Taking out my frustration on you was childish, and I regret every minute of it. I'm sorry, and I hope you can forgive me. Secondly, I'm sure by now that you realized I'm not coming back to class. I dropped it after our argument because I was embarrassed by how poorly I handled the situation, and I couldn't bring myself to face you. I also should have taken the time to at least respond to one of your many attempts at contacting me. It was stupid and immature of me, and again, I'm sorry. _

_I know I don't deserve it, but I hope you will accept my apology and let me at least speak to you. I don't expect you to say yes, but if you do I promise I'll explain everything, and hopefully we can be friends again. Please consider it, you can contact me at anytime, I promise I won't ignore you again. _

_Owen_

_P.S.- I hope things are going well between you and your boyfriend. _

Charlotte stared at the screen, completely at a loss. She wanted to jump at the opportunity to have her only New York friend back again. This didn't sound like the Owen that Josh had described, this sounded like the Owen she knew and had grown fond of. She missed him. Maybe Owen had changed, and Josh simply hadn't seen it yet. But she was scared to rekindle things with Owen. She didn't want him to get the wrong impression; she hoped to make things work with Josh, and she wanted to be friends with Owen, but only friends. She didn't know if he could handle that. Making her decision, she opened up a blank message and began to type her reply to Owen.


	16. Chapter 16

Charlotte paced nervously in front of the nearest Starbucks as a slight cool breeze blew her hair in her face. She brushed it aside and continued to pace. It was finally September, and the leaves had started to change into rich reds and bright yellows, dotting the landscape with color. Fall was one of her favorite seasons, and she normally spent it outdoors, taking as many pictures of the season as she could. But today she was meeting Owen for the first time in weeks. After he had emailed her, she responded by accepting his apology, but making her intentions very clear. She wanted to be friends, nothing more. He agreed, and they had set up a time and place to meet for the following weekend.

Charlotte had decided that it was best to not tell Josh about they're recent contact. She had remembered to let him know in some way of her well being every day, but she hadn't seen him much except for in class. He hadn't made much of an attempt to contact her either, academically or otherwise, and she had begun to wonder if he had lost interest in her. She had planned to contact him later that evening and demand to know what was going on. As much as she wanted to continue where they left off, she wasn't going to wait around forever.

At that moment, someone placed their hand on her shoulder and she turned, face to face with Owen. It had been so long since she had seen him that she could barely contain her excitement and couldn't stop herself from hugging him. But she just as quickly backed away, embarrassed by her sudden enthusiasm. She was supposed to be wary of him, nervous and unsure of the person standing before her, but she was still relieved to see a familiar face.

"Owen, hey. It's really good to see you again. Should we, uh, should we go in?"

She gestured to the store and he nodded, holding the door open for her. The coffee shop was crowded and noisy, but they managed to find a small table near the back. Charlotte sat down to save their spot while Owen waited in line to order their coffees. A few minutes later, he sat back down, bearing a large black coffee and a cappuccino for Charlotte. They sipped their drinks in silence for a moment, both wanting to say the right thing, but neither sure of what that was. Charlotte took another sip of her cappuccino, then cleared her throat.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

Owen set down his drink and focused on the storefront behind her.

"I just...I feel like I need to explain myself to you."

She nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"There's things you don't know about me, Charlie. I have a past that you need to understand before we can be friends again. But I'll understand if you no longer want to see me again after I've told you."

Charlotte held her breath. She had a feeling about what he was going to say, and she couldn't believe he was going to actually tell her about it. He paused and ran his hand through his hair. He was visibly frustrated and tired, his eyes bloodshot and weary.

"I-I don't know where to begin."

She smiled at him encouragingly.

"The beginning is usually a good place to start."

He smiled softly.

"Good point. Last year, I started dating a girl in my class. Alex. She was...well, we were great together I thought. But a few weeks after we started dating, I accidentally walked in on her and one of her exes. They weren't having sex or anything. He was smacking her around and he threw her to the ground like a doll. I completely lost it and tried to beat the shit out of him, but she stopped me and told me to leave. She broke up with me after that.

"Anyway, I couldn't believe she was allowing this to happen, and that she wouldn't let me help her. So I did what she said and left, but I kept a close eye on her. One night, I found out that she was with a friend and they were meeting up with this guy who had a notorious record of treating women badly, and I tried desperately to warn her. But she refused to see me and I had to leave. I never saw her again after that, and I took some time off school trying to find her. Everyone had the wrong impression; they all thought I was stalking her. I only cared about her well-being and safety, but no one else saw it that way. Eventually I gave up and returned to school, then I met you. In a way, you reminded me of her and I immediately felt like I wanted to protect you, although you didn't need protecting. When you broke things off with me, it reminded me of Alex, and I just couldn't take it. I took a break and went home for a while to cool off. That's why I was gone for so long."

Charlotte bit her lip and nodded, trying to process this new information. If what he said was true, then that meant Owen was actually perfectly safe to be around, and they could be friends again. She was relieved that what Josh had told her was a complete misunderstanding, and that they didn't need to worry anymore. She drank more of her cappuccino.

"I understand. That must have been hard for you, with Alex I mean."

Owen looked up, as if he could hardly believe that she was still talking to him. He opened his mouth to say something, but Charlotte stopped him.

"It's alright. You've explained enough, and it's nothing to be ashamed of."

His face broke into a wide smile, which she happily returned. At that moment, her phone began chirping, and she pulled it out of her pocket to see she had a new text from Josh. Ever since they began seeing each other, she had saved his number under his initials in case someone else got a hold of her phone. Swallowing noisily, she opened it. She hadn't told him about meeting with Owen, or his email.

**J.R.:** Where are you?

She knew he would be angry if he found out about her sudden re-connection with Owen, and she wasn't about to tell him. Not now, at least.

**Charlotte:** Out. At Starbucks. Why?

**J.R: **Which one? I'll come meet you.

**Charlotte:** I'm actually about to go home and work on some homework. Maybe next time?

He didn't answer after that, and that made her all the more nervous. When Owen had contacted her earlier that week, she had started keeping her contact with Josh to a minimum. She wasn't ready to tell him that Owen had reached out to her and she had responded to him, which she knew he would be against. She knew that Josh was just worried about her and didn't want her to get hurt, but he didn't seem like the understanding type, and she would end up telling him about Owen too soon if they continued to talk and see each other all day. So she kept busy. Her apartment was always clean now and her homework all caught up. She even managed to fit in a daily run since she didn't have various tasks hanging over her head. Charlotte picked up her coffee to take a sip, but her phone started ringing. Setting the cup back down, she opened her phone to see who it was. It was a blocked number, which she usually didn't answer, but she had a feeling that she should take this call.

"Hello?" She asked quietly.

"Charlotte."

Her breath hitched and her heart began pounding. Of course it was Josh. She was curious to know where he was calling from, but she was too nervous to ask. It had been several days since she had actually heard his voice, and the sound of him speaking her name immediately caused a deep blush to spread across her face and neck, which didn't go unnoticed by Owen. He looked at her questioningly.

"Um, Hi." She squeaked. She had to be careful in front of Owen, otherwise he would probably work out who she was talking to, which would lead to plenty of questions that Charlotte wasn't ready to answer yet.

"Where are you?"

"I told you, I'm at Starbucks."

He paused.

"Are you alone?"

Shit. She didn't want to lie to him directly, but she couldn't say no without him asking who she was with. Her and Josh both knew that she didn't exactly have friends in New York. She scrambled to come up with an excuse, but her hesitancy made Josh suspicious and she didn't have to answer him.

"Charlotte, who are you with?"

His voice had dropped an octave, which caused her to squirm in her chair. Owen was still looking at her, although now he looked concerned. She pointed at the phone and mouthed 'boyfriend', to which he nodded and busied himself on his iphone. Turning in her chair so she was facing towards the door and away from Owen, she focused on her phone call.

"No one, just a friend. Where are you?"

She thought she heard him growl on the other line, but it must've been her imagination.

"I'm at the school, in my office. I've barely heard from you since you left my apartment. What's going on? If you're still mad about me ignoring you-"

"I'm not still mad! I've just been busy, you know, with homework and...stuff."

She trailed off pathetically, and Josh could hear in her voice that she wasn't telling him something.

"Charlotte? Who are you with?"

She began to sweat nervously.

"I told you, no one."

He paused again, but even though he was silent, the silence held weight.

"I'll ask you one more time, Charlotte. I will get it out of you eventually. Who. Are. You. With?"

She cringed and snapped her jaw shut. She was not going to tell him, not over the phone with Owen sitting across from her in a Starbucks.

"I said, _no one._"

He sighed, audibly frustrated.

"Fine. I have to go."

He hung up, and Charlotte closed her phone, placing her head in her hands. She was doomed, there was no way he was going to let this go. Glancing at the clock, she realized that it was nearly four. She probably should go home and work on...something. There wasn't much to do, but she was too on edge sitting in the coffee shop with Owen now. Knowing her luck, the Professor would walk in through the door any minute and start swinging punches or something.

"Owen, I'm sorry, but I gotta go. You should text me tomorrow though."

"Oh, already? Is everything ok?"

She worked up a smile, though her eyes were still crinkled with worry.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Just my boyfriend, he doesn't really like it when I hang out with other guys."

Owen pursed his lips and nodded slowly.

"Charlie, he's not...trying to control you or anything, is he?"

"Oh! No no, nothing like that. I'm fine. He's a really great guy he just...gets a little jealous sometimes. But he doesn't let it get out of control or anything."

Owen looked relieved.

"Good. If anything changes though, or if you need my help, you call me okay?"

She nodded and he smiled at her. They walked out of the Starbucks together, a light chill beginning to settle in the air.

"Do you want me to walk you home?"

Charlotte shook her head.

"Nah, that's alright. I think I'll give my boyfriend another phone call, so I wouldn't be very good company anyhow."

"Ah, alright then. Well, I'll text you tomorrow. And Charlotte?"

She turned back towards him.

"Thanks for giving me a chance."

She smiled at him warmly, then waved goodbye and started her short walk home. Her stomach rumbled, and her mind shifted to dinner. She didn't have much food, nor much money at the moment, but she did have a cup ramen or two in the cupboard. It felt like it was going to be cold tonight, so it would be the perfect night for it. The thought warmed her up, and she walked a bit faster.

The Starbucks was fairly close to her apartment, so it only took her about ten minutes to get there. She unlocked her door, intending to start closing windows. But when she stepped inside, they were already closed. Confused, she walked towards the nearest window, thinking she must've closed them earlier and just forgotten. But they were locked too.

"Charlotte."

She jumped and screamed, whipping around. Josh was lounging casually in her computer chair, one arm in his lap and the other supporting his head as he leaned on it. He was still wearing his work clothes: a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a dark green tie that hung loosely around his collar, black dress pants and solid black shoes. The light was dim in her apartment, she must've walked in without seeing him there. But her fear quickly turned to irritation.

"Josh! You scared the shit out of me! What the fuck are you doing here?"

He raised an eyebrow at her and stood up, placing his hands in his pockets and slowly walking towards her. She backed away, but the wall stopped her from backing up any further, and Josh quickly closed the gap. Suddenly, she was reminded of the same thing happening in his classroom several weeks ago, when she was trying to find the light switch. She tried to suppress the memory, but she found herself already flushed and turned on by it. Josh put his hands against the wall on either side of her head, and leaned in close to her. He placed his lips to her jaw, and began kissing her softly.

"I believe, Miss Matthews, that I made you a promise over the telephone."

One of his hands dropped from the wall and gripped her jaw, holding her in place. She gasped and tried to remember what he was talking about, but she came up blank.

"You-you did? What promise?"

She could feel his lips curl against her neck.

"Three times I asked you a question, which you refused to answer, and I thought I made it clear that I would...what was the wording again?...'get it out of you eventually'. Well here I am. I'm here to get an answer. And you _will_ answer me."

Gulping, she realized he was very serious.

"And what if you don't?"

He stopped and drew back, looking into her with his dark eyes.

"That won't be a problem. I can either reward you for divulging your secret to me, or I can tease you until you beg for me, and I will not indulge you until you talk. I know you were with someone in that coffee shop, now I want to know who. It's your choice."

He reached up to the collar of her button-up blouse, and teased along the neckline that plunged deeply in between her breasts. Suddenly, he grasped both sides and tore the shirt open, popping the buttons and revealing the bra that he had bought her for their first date. He pawed her breast through the fabric, while his other hand trailed down to the waistband of her jeans. Charlotte was already gasping for air. She reached towards him and began to undress Josh, but he grabbed her wrists and held them above her head.

"I don't think so. This is about me teasing you, not the other way around. I'm not going to let you work your magic on me, not right now at least."

With his free hand, he unbuttoned her jeans and slid his hand into her pants, lightly rubbing her through the fabric of her panties. Her breathing escalated as he found her clit and began to rub slow circles over it. Charlotte tried to get him to press harder by lifting her hips, but he instead applied lighter pressure, causing Charlotte to squirm desperately. She moaned, frustrated that he wouldn't give her more.

"Josh...please.."

"Please what?"

She gasped as he tantalized her, slowly adding more pressure and beginning to increase his speed.

"Harder. I want-"

His teeth pulled on her earlobe, and he whispered into her ear.

"I know what you want, and you know what I want. Tell me. Who was with you?"

He dipped his hand lower, stroking her through her now very wet panties. Again, she tried to grind against his hand, but he pulled away.

"Tell me Charlotte. And I'll give you what you want."

"I-I can't." She said breathlessly.

Reaching around her back, he unclipped her bra and threw it aside. He finally released her wrists, but she kept them at her side, pressed against the wall. He rolled her nipple between his thumb and index finger, eliciting another loud moan from Charlotte. He was so close to her now, and she could feel his erection straining through his pants. He pushed his hand back into her pants, but this time, he pulled aside her panties, dipping his fingers into her wetness. Charlotte was gasping for air as his kisses became more intense, kissing along her neck and collar bone.

"Charlotte..." He mumbled against her shoulder.

She swallowed noisily. He was good at this interrogation thing, far too good for her to resist. But if she told him that it was Owen she saw earlier, he might stop, and she couldn't have that. She managed to try her hand at compromising instead.

"Alright," she gasped. "You win. But I'm not going to tell you everything until you finish what you started. Please Josh, I-I'm begging you."

He brought his eyes up to hers. They were smoldering with desire and something else...maybe frustration? Charlotte couldn't tell and she didn't care, as long as he kept going.

"Hmm. We'll see what you can tell me first."

He slipped one finger inside her, but not nearly deep enough, and began to curl it slowly. Charlotte was very sensitive at this point, and her knees nearly buckled. She grabbed his shoulders to stay standing and he grabbed her around the waist with his free hand.

"Was it someone I've met before?"

She whimpered and nodded as he pushed his finger deeper inside her.

"Was it...another guy?"

She swallowed again, and answered.

"Yes."

His eyebrows knitted together as anger flashed through his eyes momentarily. Charlotte had expected him to add another finger, but he didn't. Instead, he stopped moving altogether.

"Is it someone you're interested in? Do you want him to do this to you, too?"

Charlotte couldn't answer fast enough.

"No! No, he's just...just an old friend. I only want you, Josh. No one else."

This seemed to please him, because he suddenly added another finger and shoved them deep inside her, curling and pulling them. She cried out loudly, pleasure being pushed through her veins by her pounding heart. She looked at him, his lips curled back in a cocky smile, as his eyes met hers. Suddenly, he withdrew his fingers and yanked off her jeans and panties. He unbuckled his pants and pulled them down just far enough, along with his boxer briefs. The last time they had sex, it was so fast that Charlotte never got a chance to admire the view. But now she had a perfect shot of him from the waist down, and she couldn't help but smile at how superior he was built compared to the other men she had slept with. Josh caught her looking and smiled back at her.

"What?"

"Nothing. You're just...so much bigger compared to what I've dealt with in the past. And it's kind of a relief."

His grin widened, and he lifted her up against the wall, wrapping her legs around him. He positioned himself at her entrance, and slowly pushed inside her. They both moaned in relief, and for a moment he held still, teasing her further. But he couldn't stay stationary for long, and he started to move, thrusting slowly at first, gradually gaining speed.

"God, Charlotte. You're so tight." He said breathlessly.

She could feel the pressure building, and she was close, so close, as he pummeled her against the wall. Suddenly, he thrust particularly hard and her head smacked the wall behind her. She groaned and grabbed the back of her head, and Josh stopped for a minute.

"Oh my God, are you ok?" He asked.

She nodded, her eyes squeezed shut as she rubbed the sore spot that was beginning to swell.

"Yeah...I'm fine. Keep going."

"Yeah, ok. But we're moving away from this wall first."

He set her down, and pulled his pants and shoes off all the way, then lead her into her bedroom. She climbed on the bed and laid down, but he shook his head at her.

"Uh-uh. Get up. On your hands and knees."

Charlotte did as she was told and assumed the position as he climbed onto the bed behind her. She had never done this position before. Very slowly, he plunged inside her again, but this time something felt different to Charlotte. He leaned over her and brushed her hair away from her ear.

"This is one of my favorite positions, and it can be very intense. But I have a feeling you'll love it."

He sat back up and began to thrust, careful not to go to hard. Charlotte was immediately crying out loudly, and she hoped that her neighbors weren't home. It was so deep, and Josh was right, very intense. Reaching around her, he gripped her breasts and went faster. Then he moved his hand down in between her legs and began to rub her clit. She bucked against him, moaning louder. She was so close, she felt like she were about to explode.

"Oh my fucking god Josh, I'm so close."

He thrust harder and rubbed her faster. It was exactly what she needed to push her over the edge, and she came loudly, pushing her hips against his own. Josh grabbed at her hips and moved faster, close to finishing. A few more pushes, and he was coming, gasping and groaning loudly. They stayed that way for a few minutes before Josh pulled out and collapsed next to her in bed. Charlotte was laying on her stomach, her head resting on her folded arms and staring at Josh. Maybe she would be lucky and he had forgotten.

"Alright Charlotte, now that I've given you what you wanted, you need to return the favor. Who were you with earlier?"

_I guess not_, she thought. She began to absentmindedly play with her hair and avoid his eyes.

"Can we just lay like this for a minute? I'm thoroughly enjoying this post-coital satisfaction right now, and I'd rather not ruin it."

Josh sat up, no longer looking content and satisfied. He was now alert and concerned.

"Charlotte? Who was it? You had better tell me."

She buried her face in the pillow and told him in a mumble, but all Josh heard was "mowm mol."

"You'll have to take you're face out of the pillow darling, I can't understand a word you said."

She sighed and lifted her face, turning it away from him.

"Owen Holt."

He definitely heard her that time.


	17. Chapter 17

Josh froze next to her, completely silent. Charlotte had tensed up, and was waiting for him to say something. The minutes dragged on for what seemed like hours, and still he said nothing. She tried to swallow her fear and look at him, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was afraid of what she would see. After a while though, Charlotte couldn't take the silence and worked up the courage to try and talk to him.

"Josh?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he jumped up from the bed and stormed into her living room, picking up clothes along the way. Charlotte sat in bed for a moment, somewhat shocked at his reaction, then pulled on an over-sized shirt and forced herself after him. She found him by her computer desk, pulling on his pants then sitting down to push his shoes onto his feet. Suddenly, she understood that he was going to leave, and she pushed herself in front of him.

"Josh, wait! Please don't leave. Talk to me."

He stopped what he was doing and lifted his eyes to hers.

"Recall the first time we discussed our relationship. We were in my office, remember? And what did I say to you about Owen?"

Charlotte opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off.

"I. Do. Not. _Share._ Recall again, a week or two after, we were again in my office and I told you about Owen's history. I expressed my concern for you. Now here we are, a few week later, and you have not only contacted him, but you met up with him. Not to mention you did all this without even bothering to tell me! Imagine how you would feel, in my position? If I had done all of this, wouldn't you be angry, Miss Matthews? Wouldn't you feel worried that I had contacted someone whom I knew to be dangerous?"

It seemed to her that Josh had walked out her door already and was instead replaced by the Professor. She could hear the formality and anger in his voice, but Charlotte could remain silent no longer.

"But Owen's not dangerous, Josh! It was a misunderstanding! He explained everything to me on his own, and I'm not saying you have to share me with anyone! Shouldn't I be allowed to have a friend?"

"He isn't your friend! Did everything I tell you mean nothing? He is fabricating it all to get closer to you! He is obsessive and a predator, of course you can't be friends with him! I will not allow you to put yourself in that kind of danger, and if you insist on keeping him in your social circle, than I will step out and let him have you, because I refuse to fight with you everyday on this."

Charlotte stood in front of him, shocked and hurt by his words.

"So you're making me choose."

He stared at her for a moment before answering.

"Damn right I am."

Charlotte pulled her lower lip between her teeth and began sawing at it. It was a nervous habit that she had managed to stay away from for a while, but she guessed that old habits really do die hard. Josh watched her intently as she lowered herself into a kneeling position onto the floor in front of him. He could almost see the thoughts flying around her mind, and he could see the worry in her eyes. It was disconcerting that she was even taking this long to decide. Owen was...well, he wasn't good enough for her, as a friend or anything else. And compared to himself, Owen was practically an ant. Couldn't she see the difference? She was far better off with someone who could provide for her and protect her and..._love_ her.

Josh shocked himself with the thought. He couldn't love her. Not yet. It was far to soon, they had barely been together a month. But when he looked at her, he felt his heart warm and his anger begin to ebb away. Maybe he _did_ love her. He had never loved someone before, not like this at least. Even if it wasn't love, he never felt this strongly towards a woman before. It was an alien feeling for Josh, and he didn't know how to handle it. After several moments of waiting though, Josh's frustration returned and he finally stood up, stepping around her and walking towards the door. Charlotte jumped up after him, grabbing the elbow of his jacket.

"Josh! Wait, please. I'm sorry, I just...I feel like I really got to see a better side of Owen, maybe he's changed. Please don't make me choose between you and my only friend. I..." she drifted off, stopping the words from falling out of her mouth. She had been about to say something that she had only ever said to her parents, and occasionally to Casey, and she was sure Josh wasn't ready to hear those words from her. She let go of his arm, and took a step back, staring at the ground. Josh was staring at her coldly, his hand on the door knob.

"No, I won't wait. I made it clear on my feelings concerning Owen, and I thought I made it clear about the type of person he was. Can't you see? He's most likely lying to get close to you again, and then you'll really be in trouble. But the choice still stands: me or him. I'll be giving you a few days to think about it, since it's apparently not an obvious decision like I thought it would be. Goodbye, Charlotte."

He walked out and slammed the door closed behind him. For a moment, his hand rested on the handle and he squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing them firmly with his free hand. This had been a disaster. Of all the people that she could have met with or befriended, it had to have been Owen. And she hadn't done what he expected. She didn't immediately throw her arms around him and tell him that it would always be him, that there was no comparison between the two choices. He finally released the handle and stepped off her porch. He slid into his car and slammed the door, something he never did to his car, anger coursing through him again.

Charlotte stood where he left her, completely shocked and very upset with herself. She knew he'd be angry, but she never thought he would leave. She should have told him the moment Owen had emailed her, then this whole problem could have been avoided. His words before he left still rang in her ears, reminding her of the last time a man walked out on her. Josh's words were awfully similar to Rem's, although they didn't hold the same aggressiveness or cruelty. No, Josh was simply angry and hurt, and now Charlotte had to fix it. But that didn't stop her from also being angry with him for leaving the way her did.

Sitting down on her couch, Charlotte tried to come up with a way to stay friends with Owen and still be with Josh. But Josh wasn't listening to her, and she was sure that Owen wouldn't be very understanding of the situation. She decided that she should probably talk to Owen; maybe she would tell him that her boyfriend was very jealous of her being friends with other guys, so they would have to stay away from each other for a while.

Charlotte stood up and began rummaging around for her cell phone. It had to be around here somewhere, though she had no clue where it ended up after this afternoon's events. Finally, she found it underneath her computer desk. She figured it must've gotten kicked under there by accident, but it seemed ok. She quickly composed a text to Owen. If it came down to it, she would choose Josh. But she owed Owen an explanation first, especially after their reconciliation today.

To Owen, she asked if he was busy that night. He responded quickly saying that he wasn't, and they made plans to meet up again at a popular bar close to her apartment, then she disappeared into her room to find some proper clothes. While Charlotte was busy getting ready, she heard a sharp rap on her door. Groaning, she ignored it. That would be Josh, coming back for...well, who knows what for, and even though she had apologized, she wasn't ready to talk to him. She was pissed at the way he stormed off. But the knocking became more urgent, until it became a pounding that she could no longer ignore. She angrily stomped towards the door and ripped it open, a look of annoyance on her face.

"What do you _want_ Josh-Oh."

To her surprise, it wasn't Josh at all, but Conner, his hands tucked casually into his pants pockets.

"Hello again, Charlotte. Pleasure to see you and all, but I need Josh to get out of your bed and step out with me for a moment."

Charlotte's jaw dropped, her cheeks flushed angrily, and she struggled for something to say. Finally, she managed to string a sentence together.

"I-excuse you. Contrary to what you may think, Josh isn't here. He took off about forty minutes ago. But when you find him, tell him he's an insensitive prick."

She grasped the door and moved to slam it in his face, but he wedged his foot between the door and stopped it with his hand. Charlotte glared at him.

"Now wait just a second. You're telling me Josh isn't here?"

"Uh, yeah. I am. Is that so hard to believe?"

Conner pushed past her and inside her apartment. Charlotte closed the door harder than she intended, and she turned to see him walking around the place, as if he were searching for something. Recovering from her shock, Charlotte started after him as he walked into her bedroom. He was kneeling on the floor by her bed, sweeping his hand along the small space beneath the frame.

"Conner, what-?"

He rocked back onto his heels and stood up in one fluid motion, holding something up for her to see. Looking closer, she realized it was a cell phone.

"Josh's phone? But how did you-"

She was interrupted.

"I should have known he would do something like this. Shit. I wonder when he found out."

He strode past Charlotte, leaving her confused and still surprised to find Conner in her bedroom. Before he reached the door, she shook out of her daze and dashed after him.

"Conner! Hold up, what in fucks sake is going on? First Josh, now you? Can we all just stop running out on me for a hot second here and explain some things?"

Conner stopped and glanced at her curiously.

"Running out on you? How do you mean?"

Charlotte clenched her jaw frustratingly and quickly explained her fight with Josh, leaving out the more intimate details.

"Anyway, I'm about to head out to the bar right now to meet Owen and figure this out."

Conner glanced at her suspiciously, then nodded thoughtfully.

"Sounds like him. He gets jealous very easily, always has. Why didn't you tell him?"

Again, Charlotte snapped her mouth shut to avoid yelling at Conner. Instead, she changed the subject and inquired about how he knew where to look for Josh to begin with. For a second, she thought he wasn't going to answer. But then he dove into an explanation.

"The sole reason I came up here was because Josh has been avoiding our Father and I for the past six months. He wouldn't answer our calls or emails, and since our Father is very sick, I had to find him before it was too late. Once I arrived and realized that he would be much harder to level with than I expected, I installed some software on his phone that allows me to track him should I need him. Up until now, he's always had his phone on him. Now he's gone and left it here, probably on purpose, and no one seems to know where he's hiding. See the problem?"

Charlotte nodded, biting her lip thoughtfully. She could think of several ways that his phone could have ended up under her bed, but she wasn't going to share any of those with Conner. No one knew where Josh was, and she was automatically worried. But then she reminded herself that she was mad at him, and Josh was a big boy. He could handle himself. Pushing the concern from her mind, she shrugged and waved a hand through the air, like she were trying to swat away an irritating bug.

"Well, wherever he is, I'm sure he's fine and not coming back here anytime soon. Try the bar, he tends to drown his problems with a glass of bourbon when he's mad."

Conner narrowed his eyes at her, as if he didn't believe that she was this laid back about the situation. But he just as quickly set his expression and straightened up, opening the door.

"I see. Could you tell me which bar that is? I would really like to find my brother and explain to him why he shouldn't leave his phone where it doesn't belong."

Charlotte had a feeling that he meant something other than the obvious by that statement, but she nodded anyway and told him that Josh seemed to like _No. 8,_ and she explained how to get there. Conner thanked her and left, leaving Charlotte fighting off the worry that was slowly creeping into her chest. Pushing it away for the second time that night, she texted Owen and told him that she was heading to the bar and that she would be there in ten minutes.

Walking up to the bar probably wasn't the best idea Charlotte ever had. Summer was slipping away from New York, making way for cool autumn nights, with even cooler breezes, and Charlotte shivered as she pulled her sweater tighter around her. The bar's signs and lights blinked ahead of her, inviting her to step inside and warm herself up with a drink, or in Charlotte's case, a friend and maybe some shots. It was crowded tonight, many students were here celebrating the looming end of the semester, but it wasn't so crowded that Charlotte couldn't find Owen. He had grabbed a couple of stools at the bar, and was sipping out of a beer bottle.

"Hey," she said, as she slipped into the open stool next to him. He swallowed his drink and his lips broke into an inviting smile that was contagious.

"Hey Charlie! Good to see you again so soon. So what's the story? You didn't seem too happy in the text."

She hastily tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She still had no idea what to say, so she ordered a shot to buy her some time. When the bartender asked her what she wanted, she raised her eyebrows to indicate that she didn't have the slightest idea what to order.

"Rough night?"

Charlotte nodded, and the bartender looked at her knowingly. She looked young, maybe in her mid-30's, but Charlotte recognized pity behind her eyes. She had a feeling that the bartender had been exactly where she was now before.

"Don't worry honey, I have just the thing for ya."

A few seconds later, she placed a tall shot glass in front of her. It was filled with some sort of amber liquid, and Charlotte's thoughts immediately went to Josh, remembering how he sipped bourbon from a glass. Bourbon was the last thing she wanted. Picking it up, she smelled it and realized that it wasn't bourbon, but something else. She tensed up and sipped it, immediately tasting something like licorice. It was strong, but she liked it. Downing the rest, she set the glass back down and signaled for the bartender.

"What is this?"

The bartender smiled and placed her hands on the bar.

"Jagermeister. Did you like it?"

"I did. I'll take another."

Smiling, the bartender filled her glass again, and Charlotte knocked it back quickly this time, and again signaled the bartender that she wanted another. Owen was watching her curiously, slightly concerned for her well being. He had never seen a girl take shots of Jager like that, and he wasn't exactly put off by it. After her third shot, he cleared his throat, stealing her attention away from the drink as her fourth shot was being poured.

"Is something wrong Charlotte?"

She smiled foolishly, making it obvious to Owen that she may be able to take shots like a pro, but the alcohol was already beginning to affect her.

"Damn straight something is wrong." A fourth shot was placed in front of her, but thankfully she didn't drink it immediately. "My boyfriend is a jealous asshole, and he wants me to either stop talking to you or stop seeing him."

Owen grimaced and finished off his beer, carefully setting it back on the bar.

"What are you gonna do about it?"

Charlotte snorted, then adopted a more serious expression. She studied the shot glass in front of her, but still didn't drink it.

"I don't know. I love him. A lot. But I also like you and want to keep you as a friend. I don't want to lie to him...or you. But I have to make a choice. I wish it weren't this hard." She rubbed a hand over her forehead and combed it through her loose hair. Owen stared thoughtfully at his hands, then pulled his eyes back up to Charlotte.

"Listen Charlie. I won't make you choose. I can see that you want to be with this guy, and no matter how much I want to tell you to choose me, I think it was always going to be him. Can I make a suggestion?"

She didn't like where he was going with this, but she nodded and took her shot, and started to wave for another one. Tonight, she wanted to get raving drunk and forget all about this for a while, not caring whether it was good for her not. Owen smiled sadly at her, and explained his idea.

"One night. That's all I ask. Then I'll be out of your hair, and you can go back to your boyfriend without a guilty conscience. I'll make it easy for you and walk away, but I want to spend one last night with you. Can we do that Charlie?"

Charlotte began to protest; she didn't want to lose Owen. But he was making her an offer that she couldn't refuse. A way out. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again and simply nodded. Owen put his best smile on his face and decided to devote himself to having a great time tonight with Charlotte.

"Alright then. Let's drink!"

He called the bartender over and ordered both of them three shots each. He knew he would regret it in the morning, mixing beer and liquor, but it would be worth it. Besides, he had a feeling that he would feel sick tomorrow morning regardless of how much he drank tonight. For another two hours, him and Charlotte talked, laughed, and drank, enjoying their time together.

Before either of them was ready, it was two in the morning and the bar was closing. They stepped out into the cool night together, holding each other up and laughing. Before she could stop herself, Charlotte asked Owen if he wanted to stay at her place for the night, and Owen quickly agreed. Charlotte's apartment was close, and would usually only take about ten minutes to reach from the bar, but with both of them wobbling and constantly getting distracted, it took nearly twice the time.

Finally, they were stumbling onto the porch of her apartment, breathless from the brisk air, and Charlotte found Owen leaning her against the door, both of them struggling to catch their breath. Owen's close proximity did not help things, and she was so drunk that she didn't have the energy to increase the distance between them. In fact, she felt different than the last time she was drunk, with Josh. But she attributed that to Owen being so close to her and dismissed the thought that something was wrong. He was warm, and Charlotte's chilled arms longed for him to embrace them and feed off his heat, but she restrained herself. Her thoughts kept moving back to Josh, despite her anger with him.

Owen must have misunderstood her body language though, because he was suddenly trying kiss her and Charlotte was trying to duck under his arms. But he had moved his hands to her shoulders and held her firmly as he sloppily kissed her neck. The sudden change of the situation started to alarm her, and she began to lightly push Owen away.

"Owen...wait-"

One of his hands had left her shoulder and entangled itself in her hair, pulling her closer. Charlotte was never the sleep-with-your-friends-while-drunk kind of girl, and she had never found herself in this situation, so she was unsure how to continue. She knew she had to stop him before they did something they both regretted, but he was twice her size and seemed very determined. She pushed harder and protested more loudly, but she was very dizzy and felt weak, she realized that she could barely see straight. What was wrong with her?

"Owen. Stop. We can't do this-"

The hand that was in her hair slid down to cover her mouth while his free hand began to wander over her body, and still he remained silent. That was when Charlotte started to panic. Either he was too drunk to care or actually determined to take what he wanted, but she realized he had no intention of stopping, and began to actively resist him. She tried to push harder and twisted under his grip, but nothing she did resulted in him releasing her. She was about to bite down on his hand, but before she could, she heard solid footsteps ascending her porch stairs, and someone spoke in a deep voice laced with barely controlled anger.

"You may want to step away from Miss Matthews, Mr. Holt, before I remove you from her."

Owen stopped and stumbled as he turned to face whoever had joined them on the porch. Charlotte didn't need to look to see who it was, she recognized his voice immediately, and she was just as quickly filled with dread and relief. She immediately wondered what he was doing here, and then realized that Conner must've told him her plans once he managed to find Josh.

Josh stood behind him, a black trench coat over his clothes and an equally dark look on his face. She had never seen him so angry, and his gaze froze her to the spot. He tore his eyes away from her and turned it instead onto Owen, he was swaying where he stood, and obviously didn't recognize the Professor in the dark. Charlotte's vision blurred as it moved in and out of focus. She leaned against the house, trying desperately to keep stay standing.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Josh's eyes narrowed and he slowly stepped closer. Owen was smart enough to realize the threat, and backed away from him, though Josh continued advancing until he had Owen backed into a corner.

"Mr. Holt, I am the last person you want to be swearing at right now. I suggest you leave, or I will be more than happy to arrange a ride for you in the back of a police cruiser."

Owen started to say something, but Josh cut him off with what sounded like a deep, threatening growl which originated from his chest and throat. Charlotte heard, more than saw Owen swallow hard, and then slide around Josh and stumble down the stairs. Before he completely disappeared though, he turned and locked eyes with Charlotte.

"Charlotte-"

"NOW, MR. HOLT!"

Owen took off, running as steadily as possible down the street. Charlotte watched him disappear around the corner, then turned to face Josh. She was still leaning against her door, his gaze keeping her there. She opened her mouth to thank him, but the words wouldn't come out, and instead she just stood there silently, gaping at him like a fish.

"Inside Miss Matthews."

Charlotte didn't even try to argue. She grappled out at the knob behind her, and then realizing that it was still locked, dug her key out of her pocket. She fumbled with it and dropped it twice before Josh grabbed it from her and easily slid the key into the lock, opening the door and ushering her inside. It was almost cooler in her apartment than it was outside, but Charlotte's shivering had nothing to do with the temperature. She was so nervous and shocked at Owen's behavior that she didn't even have the sense to turn on a light. Thankfully, Josh did, and soon they were bathed in the dim light of Charlotte's computer desk lamp.

For a few moments, they simply stood across from each other; Josh staring intensely at her and Charlotte looking anywhere other than at Josh. Her slight adrenaline rush was beginning to wear off, and the fuzziness of the alcohol was making an appearance again. She swayed slightly on the spot, and Josh reached out and grabbed her arm, lowering her onto her sofa.

"Josh-" she started, but he cut her off.

"No, Charlotte. What were you thinking?"

He was angry with her, but Charlotte could see that his eyes were laced with concern as well.

"I-I wanted to meet with him and explain why weren't able to be friends any more. But things got carried away, we got drunk, and when we arrived here..."

The full realization of the situation began to settle on her shoulders, and suddenly she was aware of what probably would have happened if Josh hadn't showed up. He was right. He had been right all along. Anger began to seep back into Josh's eyes, and he balled his hands into fists.

"If I _ever_ see him again...if he even _looks_ at you again-"

"It's ok, Josh. He's, we _both_ are, very drunk. He was out of line, but I don't think he was in his right mind."

Josh seethed next to her.

"Don't be making excuses for his behavior! His intoxication does not lessen the indecency of his actions. He shouldn't have allowed himself, or you, to get that drunk to begin with. _Why _did you get that drunk with him, Charlotte? Did you not believe a word I had said about him? The man is a threat even when he's sober! Add alcohol to the mix and you're just asking for trouble at that point."

Charlotte's jaw dropped and her brows knitted together.

"Are you saying that this is my fault? I was meeting a friend! I remember everything you told me about him, and I was wary of his reaction, but he took it rather well and we wanted to spend one more night together. As _friends, _Josh. I didn't think he would do what he did."

A look of confusion passed over Josh's face.

"His reaction to what?"

"To me informing him that we could no longer be friends! I chose you, Josh, and now you're here blaming me for something I had little to no control over!"

Now Charlotte was the one who was pissed, and it was Josh's turn to look flustered. He raised both hands defensively, and apologized.

"I'm sorry Charlotte. Of course I didn't mean to imply that the outcome of tonight was your fault." He paused. "I guess all I was trying to say was, that I wish...never mind. Come here."  
He leaned over and pulled her into an embrace, wrapping his arms tight around her. Charlotte was stiff, but then slowly began to relax. She closed her eyes and sighed; this is where she loved to be, this is what she had given up Owen for. In Josh's arms. She returned his hug with equal enthusiasm, not planning on letting go anytime soon.

Then they were kissing, his lips covering her's with heat and intensity, grabbing at each others hair and clothes. Soon, Charlotte was panting with want, her breaths coming out short and fast, but Josh had pulled away slightly, slowing his advances. He cleared his throat and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Charlotte. We can't. Not now, not tonight. You...we've both been through a lot tonight. You need to get some rest, we'll talk about this in the morning."

Charlotte took a shuddering breath and nodded at her lap.

"Stay with me?"

He hesitated for a moment, then smiled at her softly.

"Of course. Let's get you to bed."

He scooped her up into his arms, and carried her into her room, placing her on the bed. Carefully, he removed her shoes, jeans, and shirt, leaving her t-shirt on for her to sleep in. Then he kicked off his own shoes and undressed, then crawled into bed next to her. He pulled her hair out of her eyes, and softly stroked her bare arm as her breathing evened and slowed.

"Charlotte...I-I love you."

But she never answered. She was already asleep, the alcohol causing her to sleep deeply, just like that first night they drank together and she passed out in his apartment. He smiled at the memory, and closed his eyes, promising himself to tell her again when she was awake.


	18. Chapter 18

The semester was finally over, and Charlotte was busy packing away the contents of her tiny apartment into so many boxes. It had been two weeks since Josh had saved her from Owen, and they had both decided that it would be safer for her to move into a new place. Her new apartment was still on campus, but it was on the opposite side from where her current apartment was. Josh had helped her pick it out, so it was larger and more functional, and insisted that he help her pay for it. After much persuading on his part, and the condition that he get a key, he convinced her and she signed the lease.

Today wasn't the best day to move, in Charlotte's opinion. The sky was extremely overcast, and a cold fall wind was blowing an occasional icy rain around outside. All she wanted to do was curl up in bed with a warm cup of tea and then take a nap. She stared longingly where her mattress and box spring were propped against the wall. What was once her bedroom was now completely empty except for the two items, which made it look ten times larger.

Dropping the item that she had been about to place in a box, she stood up and made her way into her room. She grabbed the mattress and tipped it onto the floor, where it fell with a satisfying 'whump'. As soon as it was settled, Charlotte wasted no time and fell face first into the mattress with a deep sigh. She was perfectly content to stay here all day, and no one could stop her. In fact, she could feel her eyelids drooping. She had been packing for days, and the steady pattering of rain on the window was so relaxing...

"What are you doing?"

She jumped slightly, and opened her eyes to see Josh standing over her.

"I'm napping. Isn't that obvious? What time is it anyway?"

Josh pulled the arm of his pea-coat up to see his watch.

"Just after three."

Charlotte rolled over and stared at Josh. He was far better dressed than she was, although it was casual compared to his usual attire. He had donned some dark jeans and what looked like a gray sweater beneath his black coat, but his shoes were still his usual dark dress shoes. It looked like old habits really did die hard. Charlotte, on the other hand, was dressed hobo-chic: she was wearing an old, gray NYU sweat shirt, some pink running shorts, and black leggings. Perfect nap wear.

"Scooch over."

Charlotte wiggled a few inches to the left while Josh discarded his jacket. Then he joined her on the mattress. For a while they both just stared at the ceiling, silent. Then Josh rolled on his side, his head propped up by his hand.

"Charlotte, we have to get up and move eventually."

She sighed in response.

"But I don't wanna. Let's just hire someone."

Josh made a face at her.

"C'mon. Up you get. Besides, if we sit here much longer, I won't be able to move again until after I undress you and thoroughly distract myself for a few hours."

Charlotte felt a rush of heat between her legs. "We could do that." But she stood up with him regardless.

"I promise that we'll properly christen your new apartment the moment we get everything in there. Plus, you'll be happy to know that I did hire some people to help. So, all you have to do is help put things away when it gets there."

"Oh. Well that makes a world of difference! When can we start?" She said excitedly.

Someone knocked on the door at that exact moment and Josh looked at his watch.

"Right on time. Apparently, we start right now."

The movers were a small team of three brothers and their dad who were very friendly and energetic. Even when Charlotte tried to help, the oldest brother, Sean, gently took the box from her hands and insisted that they had it under control. Even though he was just being friendly, this earned her quite the look from Josh, who was watching them closely from the corner. It didn't take long to load her small apartment into the truck, and soon they were pulling up to Charlotte's new apartment.

"Apartment" wasn't quite the right word to describe it. In fact, Charlotte would have used the word "townhouse", while Josh still considered it a "small apartment". It had stairs that led to a large master bedroom, with an attached bath, and the main floor was laid out in a huge living area that flowed into a kitchen. It also had central air and heat, which was a requirement for Josh, and hosted a pair of french doors that opened up onto a small patio. It even had its own washer and dryer. Charlotte loved it, but it was a far larger space than she was used to.

It only took an hour for the movers to unload everything, and Josh even paid them a bit extra to set up her bed and other large furniture. At half past six, her new place was finally silent, and Josh had stepped out to get them some Thai food for dinner. While he was gone, Charlotte made her bed and started a load of laundry, then sat down to begin unpacking a few boxes. She didn't get very far, though. Josh came striding through the door ten minutes later, and the smell of Thai food pulled her into the kitchen.

Josh was unpacking some plates when she walked in, and immediately began fishing through the bags. She pulled out a few containers of food, some chopsticks, and a bottle of white wine.

"To celebrate. You had a successful semester, and now you have a new place." He explained.

Charlotte shrugged and set the wine aside, not exactly complaining. She had learned to love wine since meeting Josh, and was happy to have more. He handed her a couple of wine glasses from a box, and she poured the wine. Josh raised his glass and smiled at her.

"To new beginnings."

She liked that, and clinked her glass with his, then they both drank. After they had dished out their Thai food, they sat down together at her tiny breakfast table which she had brought from her apartment. Charlotte never had any problem with eating in front of dates, and was shoveling spicy peanut noodles into her mouth as if she hadn't eaten in days.

"So, do you like it?"

Swallowing a mouthful, she nodded.

"Oh my god, yes. It's so good. Where did you find this place?"

He laughed softly and sipped his wine.

"The apartment, Charlotte. Not the food. I meant, do you like your new place?"

"Oh! Duh. Yes, I do. It'll take some getting used to-there's so much more space. But I think I can adjust. I just have to remind myself that I don't have the money to fill a place this large, so I'll have to be careful. I can be quite the shopaholic, if I don't keep myself in check."

"You know that I would be happy to buy you anything you needed."

She smiled and pushed some noodles around the bottom of her takeout container.

"I know. I don't need anything though."

"Or anything you wanted."

She looked up at him. He wore a serious but hopeful expression, as if he were hoping that she would take him up on his offer immediately. But Charlotte wasn't that type of girl, and she hesitated before looking him in the eyes and speaking.

"But I already have everything I want."

His breath hitched and he quickly stood up. Her eyes were fixed to his, and her breathing quickened as he began to walk slowly around the table towards her. But she couldn't wait, and stood up to meet him. They embraced, and he quickly had her leaning back on the table, their hips pressing together. Their nearly empty food containers tumbled to the ground and the wine sat forgotten on the counter.

He began kissing her, roughly, as if he would lose her if he didn't hold on tight enough and she moaned softly against his mouth. He pressed his knee between her's and her legs spread for him. Charlotte angled her hips and pressed against his. She could feel how hard he was between them, and she squirmed under him. Between Owen, their fight, the end of the semester, Conner, and moving, they had barely seen each other. Let alone, had time enough to have sex. She reached behind him and gripped his ass firmly, pushing him closer, and he realized that she wasn't in the mood to wait. He quickly divested himself of his sweater and began working on his belt, but Charlotte's hands stopped him.

"Wait," she said. "Let me."

He nodded wordlessly and stepped back to give her room. She slid of the table and stood before him. He expected her to go right for his pants, but instead, she slowly pulled off her sweat shirt and leggings, leaving her in her gray bra and panties. His eyes raked up and down her form. No matter how many times he saw her, he never would get enough.

After her clothes were off, she reached for his belt and unbuckled it. She was removing it slowly, tantalizing him with every movement she made. His natural instinct was to rip off his clothes and do things his way, how he wanted. But Charlotte had rarely taken the initiative, so he wanted her to have a chance and let her do things her way.

Once his belt was out of the way, she quickly removed his pants, squatting to get them from around his ankles. But when they were off, she didn't stand back up like he predicted; instead, she knelt in front of him and placed her hands on his hips, looking up at him. Her pupils were dilated with many different emotions: excitement, anticipation, lust and...fear? He couldn't tell.

"What do you want, Charlotte?"

He had a pretty good idea of what she was planning, but he wanted to hear her say it. He wanted to be sure that she wanted to do it, not that she felt obligated. Her mouth opened, but she didn't speak for a few minutes.

"Charlotte, only do what you want. If you don't want to do this, you don't have to. I'd be more than happy to let you satisfy me in other ways."

Whatever reservations she had been holding disappeared from her face immediately, and she grabbed at the waistband of his boxer briefs.

"No. I _want_ to do this."

She pulled them down, and he was free of all restraints. She examined him hungrily, and licked her lips. The only expression on her face now was desire as she grabbed him firmly with one hand. He groaned as her grip tightened. She looked up at him, then slowly encircled the head of his cock with her mouth. Her mouth was warm and wet and he hissed, trying not to thrust his hips. Then she released her hand and instead gripped his hips with both hands, pushing them forward and plunging his cock deeper into her throat. She had sheathed her teeth with her lips, and all he could feel was wet and heat; it felt amazing.

Her head bobbed on him, occasionally moving her eyes up to his, searching his face for any signs that she was doing things wrong. But all that met her when she did were black pools of lust and arousal, and she knew that she must be doing something right. She continued to plunge him deep into her throat, and Josh couldn't hold back any longer. He placed his hands in her hair and began to thrust gently into her mouth. She groaned, sending vibrations through her mouth and throat that felt amazing, and he began to flex his hips faster. She pushed her tongue against him, licking and sucking with each movement. Suddenly, his hands gripped her head tightly and he pulled out of her mouth. She looked at him curiously as he reached down and pulled her to her feet.

"What? What's wrong?"

He looked at her heatedly, his eyebrows raised pointedly.

"Nothing. I just want you. Now."

He spun her around and bent her over the table, the table wobbling precariously as he did so. She felt his fingers slip between her thighs, feeling how wet she was. He made a humming sound of approval in his throat, as he pushed two fingers inside her. She moaned, pushing against his hand, but his other hand held her hips in place.

"God, you are so wet. I can't wait to be inside you."

He pulled his fingers out, and she groaned at the absent feeling that he left behind. Then he reached in front of her and pressed his fingers against her lips, taking Charlotte slightly by surprised.

"Open your mouth."

She obliged, and he slipped his fingers past her lips.

"Suck."

Charlotte sucked on his fingers and she could taste the saltiness of herself on him. It was oddly erotic for her. She had never tasted herself before, and she was surprisingly turned on even more. She eagerly licked his fingers clean, before he pulled them free of her mouth.

"Good girl. I'm going to fuck you now, Charlotte."

She gasped and flexed her hips, preparing herself. He didn't go slow; in fact, he thrust inside her, hard, and she practically screamed. He was so deep and it felt perfect. For a moment, he didn't move, just stayed inside her, perfectly still, letting both of them relish in the feeling of each other. After a second though, Charlotte needed him to move and she whimpered, pushing against him.

"Josh, please-"

He pulled out and pushed back in, starting slow but then increasing his pace. She gasped, feeling the pressure building inside her. They were both panting, the table rattling and squeaking beneath them. Reaching around her hips, Josh began to rub her clit, which caused her to buck against him and moan louder.

"Charlotte, I need- you need to come."

She was almost there, she could feel her body getting closer to shattering.

"Now, baby. Come for me."

He rubbed her harder but it was his words that put her over the edge. She exploded, her body convulsing and pulsing around him. She was groaning, her muscles clenching him tightly and soon, he was following her, grunting and emptying inside her as he came. He collapsed on top of her, both of them sweaty and spent. It had been at least two weeks since they had sex. They had both needed this, desperately. Josh groaned and placed a few lazy kisses on her back and shoulders.

"God, Charlotte. One of these days, you're going to kill me."

She giggled and turned under him in order to face him.

"Death by sex, huh? Sounds good to-"

At that moment, Charlotte's trusty, yet cheap, breakfast table gave a final, surrendering creak and collapsed to the ground. She screamed, even though it was a short drop, and Josh landed on top of her heavily. The table was pressing painfully into her back, but she couldn't stop laughing, despite her uncomfortableness. Josh joined her as he stood and helped her up. They both stared at the wrecked table beneath them.

"Well. Looks like I owe you a new table. And possibly some new chairs."

Charlotte nodded at him seriously, but couldn't keep her face straight and ended up laughing again.

"Looks like you do, Professor. But I think before that, we both need a shower."

He pulled her into his arms, kissing her on the forehead.

"That we do, Miss Matthews." He kissed her again. "God, I love you."

She smiled contentedly.

"I love you, too. Now c'mon. Time for some shower sex."

He laughed as she pulled him upstairs.

It was nearly three in the morning when Josh's phone woke him out of a dead sleep. He quickly silenced it and looked at the number; It was from Conner. Glancing at Charlotte, he brushed a stray hair out of her face. She was sound asleep, and he was careful not to wake her when he got out of bed. He quietly stole down the stairs and called his brother back once he was safely out of earshot on the patio. Winter was definitely coming. It was a cold October night, and Josh shivered against the chill that traveled up his spine. Thankfully, Conner answered almost immediately.

"What is it, Conner?"

"I just got that information back that you wanted. You did tell me to call right away."

"Yes, I did. Go on, then. Let's hear it."

"Sure thing. It would seem that Owen Holt has dropped out of school completely, just like you told him to do. He's also put the security deposit down on a new apartment outside of city limits, and his lease starts in a few weeks. So I would imagine he's planning to move pretty soon. So far, he seems to be following your instructions."

Josh grunted in assent.

"But?"

"_But _it seems like Mr. Holt has been in communication with several of the other faculty members."

Josh felt like his stomach dropped several feet.

"Saying what, exactly?"

"Saying several different things. I'll have copies emailed to you. Half of it isn't true, but enough of it is that you should be worried. Granted, he doesn't have any hard evidence to support his claims, but you know how schools are about this kind of thing."

"Word spreads fast." Josh finished for him. The words echoed in his mind back to when Charlotte had first said them, and the irony was not lost on him. "What do we do?"

Conner sighed, and Josh could imagine him pacing in front of his hotel's windows.

"Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do right now. We have to wait and see where this goes first."

Josh rubbed his eyes with one hand, the other gripping the patio railing tightly.

"Right. Thanks for getting back to me, Conner."

He hung up before Conner could respond and leaned against the railing. A chill had settled in his bones that had nothing to do with the cold. He shivered, wishing that he had grabbed his jacket before coming out, and he mulled the situation over in his mind.

Once he had convinced Charlotte to relocate, Josh had taken matters into his own hands to ensure her safety, and that she wouldn't find herself in the same situation again. He had taken quite a risk, showing up at Owen's, but it was worth it. Once he revealed to Owen that he was the one to pull him off Charlotte, it didn't take much for him to figure out the extent of their relationship. Josh made it very clear that he were to transfer to a different school and leave New York, or he would be sure to make Owen regret it.

It had seemed as if his plan was working well. Owen was leaving, and it appeared that him and Charlotte would be able to enjoy each others company in peace. But now it was looking like Owen was determined to drag him down; Charlotte too. His cell phone pinged, pulling him from his thoughts. That would be the email from Conner, containing a copy of Owen's communication's with the school. Josh wasn't ready to look at them, though. Instead, he decided it was time to go back to Charlotte.

He climbed the stairs, no longer as tired as he had been before. Charlotte was still sound asleep, although she had managed to spread herself across his side of the bed while he had been gone. He nudged her awake so he could get back into bed, and she groaned and rolled over, pulling the blankets with her. Thankfully, there was an extra blanket on the end of the bed, which Josh wrapped around himself before crawling into bed with her.

Staring at the ceiling above him, he went through a thousand scenarios in his head. This was not going to turn out well for either of them, he thought. Thank God for Conner. Even though he worked for their Dad, it had seemed that he had still pursued his interest in computers and technology on the side, which really came in handy for Josh now that he needed information.

Charlotte sighed in her sleep, a soft smile playing across her lips. Josh smiled back at her, but it faded quickly. They had decided not to tell her about any of this, but now she was getting pulled back in, and Josh didn't know how long he could protect her from it; she was so close to graduating...he sighed. No, he would figure this out, he would even take the fall if it came down to it.

His watch beeped on the bedside table, signaling the hour. It was already five in the morning, and he had barely slept. Rolling over, he pulled the blankets up to his chin and shut his eyes, willing himself to sleep. But his mind wouldn't stop. Over and over he saw Charlotte getting expelled, himself getting fired, and Owen watching all of it happen with an overly-satisfied grin on his face. Eventually, Josh fell into an uneasy sleep, filled with the same nightmare of losing Charlotte and being powerless to stop it.


	19. Chapter 19

Josh woke four hours later to the sound of people talking downstairs. He immediately recognized one of the voices as Charlotte's, but the other voice, which was distinctly female, he didn't recognize at all. Rolling out of Charlotte's bed, he groaned when he sat up and searched for his clothes. They were draped neatly across the foot of the bed; Charlotte must've done that for him. Smiling softly, he got dressed and willed his eyes to stay open, which was a much harder task than it should have been.

Once he was dressed, he slowly descended the stairs, searching for Charlotte. He found her sitting at the breakfast bar, next to a women with very long, honey colored hair. Charlotte's eyes met his and she stopped talking, causing the blonde to turn in her seat and look at what had suddenly caused her to stop.

The first thing Josh noticed about her was her eyes: they were extremely deep blue and set with a level of determination that he rarely encountered. Next, he noticed her lips, which were a lovely shade of pink and formed into a smug smile that suited the women perfectly. She was dressed in dark skinny jeans, a creamy white top, and red pumps that matched her cropped leather jacket. She was extremely attractive, but not nearly as beautiful as Charlotte, who was still wrapped in her pajamas. The blonde wasted no time and crossed the room to stand in front of Josh, examining him carefully.

"Is this him? Damn girl, you have awfully good taste in men."

Josh gaped at her while Charlotte suppressed a giggle.

"Sit down, Casey, give the man some air." She looked apologetically at Josh. "Sorry, Josh. This is Casey, my friend from back home. She just arrived this morning."

Josh nodded while Casey turned on her heel and sat back down, taking her mug into her hands. She leaned back against the bar and took a sip, evaluating him from a distance.

"Charlie told me all about you, Professor. She obviously has a way with adjectives because she managed to describe you perfectly."

Charlotte blushed and averted her eyes, but Josh didn't miss a beat.

"Really? Well that's one of the few talents that Ms Matthews has been hiding from me, since I have yet to experience her way with words, and she's shared quite a few of her talents with me already."

Josh's words were full of meaning and Charlotte's face burned an even deeper shade of crimson as she covered her face with her hands. Casey, on the other hand, gaped at Josh then quickly closed her mouth and burst out laughing.

"You, sir, obviously share her way with words. I like you."

Smiling at the satisfaction of winning over Charlotte's only friend, Josh made his way into the kitchen while the girls chatted over coffee, discussing everything from school to shopping. He made himself a latte and made his way back to the bar just as Charlotte was explaining why she needed to buy a new breakfast table.

"Jesus, really?" Casey exclaimed. She eyed Josh excitedly, glancing between him and the table. Josh didn't fail to notice that her eyes also flashed down to the zipper of his jeans. She suddenly began looking at him expectantly before Charlotte cleared her throat. Josh had no doubt in his mind that this women was not someone to trifle with and reminded himself to keep his distance.

"Really. So, Casey. What are you doing in town? Applying at NYU?"

Casey straightened in her chair and smiled smugly.

"Nope. Just visiting Charlie. She emailed me a few weeks ago describing all the problems she was having, practically begging me to visit. But I couldn't leave 'til the semester was over at the community college I go to, so I had to wait. I was planning to help her move, but it seems like you already covered that. Now I'm just going to take a few weeks and stay with Charlie, help her unpack and make sure she's getting out of the house."

Josh choked on his coffee.

"A few _weeks?_"

She nodded excitedly and looked at Charlotte, who had adopted an expression that said '_oops'_. Oops was right. She had completely forgotten to mention to Josh that Casey was coming, and now it was obvious that they wouldn't be having quite as much sex as either of them would have liked. She opened her mouth to apologize when Josh's phone started ringing in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the caller I.D., then back up at Charlotte.

"Sorry baby, I have to take this. I'll be right back."

He stepped out onto the patio, thankful that it was turning into a warm day for November. At least he wouldn't freeze like he had earlier this morning. He answered his phone and placed it up to his ear.

"Conner. Hey. What's going on?"

"Josh. Thank God you're awake. Did you read the emails?"

He scowled and leaned against the railing.

"No, I just woke up actually."

Conner made an exasperated noise, and began talking very quickly.

"Fuck. Well, you should have because shit's about to hit the fan. Hard."

Josh suddenly went very still.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I said. You and Charlotte are about to get hit with a shit storm. The Dean received a copy of Owen's email this morning, he opened it, and I happen to know that he's going to call you any minute now."

At that moment, Josh's call waiting kicked in and his phone beeped to let him know there was someone on the other line. He blanched. He didn't need to look to see who it was.

"Fuck. Fuck! Conner, listen to me. I need you to get into my school profile and email, and you need to clear everything that looks even remotely suspicious. _Everything._ Alright? Do it now. I have to go."

He hung up. It was a miracle he didn't drop the phone, his hands were shaking so bad. Against his better judgment, he answered the other call.

"Hello?"

"Good morning Professor Hutcherson. I hope I didn't wake you?"

Josh swallowed hard and began to sweat as the rumbling voice of the Dean met his ear.

"N-no sir, not at all. What can I do for you?"

Moving the mouthpiece away from his mouth momentarily, Josh took a deep breath to steady himself.

"Oh nothing much, Professor. Something has come to my attention and I'll need to meet with you as soon as possible in order to go over it with you. I realize it's a Saturday and I hope you don't have too many plans, but this is rather urgent and I was hoping you could meet with me today."

Josh wiped the sweat off his forehead with a shaking palm. This was it. They were screwed. By some miracle, he managed to keep his voice level.

"Absolutely, sir. What time would be convenient for you?"

"I think ten o'clock will be perfect. I'll meet you in my office."

Recognizing that the Dean left no room for persuasion, Josh agreed and hung up. He had exactly one hour, no, less than an hour to shower, dress, and compose a story for the Dean that wouldn't end in all of their academic deaths.

The morning had taken an unexpected dark turn. Well, unexpected for Charlotte. Josh had come back in from the porch, looking like he had seen a ghost. After he explained the situation to her quietly, she wished that he simply _had_ seen a ghost, and they could go back to planning their day. Now she was watching him pull away from her apartment, and she couldn't shake the feeling that this was the last time she would see him.

He had left her with specific instructions on how to handle the University when they called; and they would call. She was to feign ignorance and act like she had no idea what the school was talking about, then dismiss the whole thing as a cruel prank from Owen to try and get back at her. Even though she had no doubt that Josh was telling the truth, she had trouble believing that Owen would do this to her.

"Charlotte? Come help me pick up the pieces of your table. We need to clear this space so we can go buy a new one."

She turned away from the door and went to help Casey clean up. Before he left, Josh had pressed his credit card into her hands for a new table, which she tried to refuse but he wasn't having any of it. It was the least he could do, he had said, especially since it was his fault the table was broken.

"You ok Charlie?"

Casey was looking at her wanly, her eyes full of concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine Case. Just worried."

She nodded knowingly and picked up a piece of table leg, tossing it into a pile of broken table pieces. Charlotte padded into the kitchen and grabbed the broom, hurrying back to sweep up all the small pieces that were far too small to pick up with their hands. She swept silently, careful to get all of it. Splinters were not something that she handled well, and she wasn't about to leave behind little slivers of wood that would only get lodged into her foot. It didn't slip past Casey how unnaturally silent her friend was, but she knew Charlotte well enough to know when she didn't want to talk, and this was one of those times. Giving her friend her space, she devoted her energy to cleaning up and taking the trash out to the curb for her.

"Let's go find you a new table," she said after coming back in. But Charlotte simply flopped onto the couch with an exasperated sigh.

"I don't really want to go out."

But Casey wasn't having any of that, and she strode towards the couch, a look of determination on her face.

"Oh no you don't. I did not drive five hours to watch you sit around all day moping. We're going out. Now get your shoes."

Charlotte groaned as Casey pulled her to her feet. She shuffled into the breezeway and snatched her shoes, then made her way back to put them on, pouting the whole way. Casey shook her head; Charlotte could be so melodramatic sometimes.

"Oh stop it. Your acting like your cat died or your birthday was taken away. Get over it. Thing's will be fine, and even if they aren't, Josh will take care of them."

Charlotte glared at Casey before pulling her shoes on.

"Yeah, but I don't _want_ Josh to lose his job. I just want to graduate and put this all behind me. It's literally been the most stressful, horrible, wonderful semester of my college career. I never knew the meaning of a love-hate relationship until now."

Casey looked at her, her face scrunched up in confusion.

"You love-hate Josh?"

Standing up, Charlotte smacked Casey on the arm.

"No! I love Josh. I was referring to all the events of this semester as a whole. I love-hated this whole semester." Casey stared at her blankly. "Oh, forget it. Let's go buy this fucking table."

Professor Hutcherson walked down the hall to the Dean's office, though he felt like he was walking to the gallows instead. Confronting Owen was something he felt was necessary, although in retrospect he probably should have thought it through better. He had put himself and Charlotte's academic careers at risk by revealing who he was to him, and now someone had to pay for it. Well that someone was him. Or rather, his job and reputation.

Behind the door in front of him laid his fate, and he wasn't sure if he was ready. But he forced himself to raise his fist and knock, trying desperately to adopt a look of calm curiosity rather than one of blinding fear. He rapped the door twice and waited patiently before it was opened by a tall man. The Dean of Psychology looked to be in his mid-fifties, with graying auburn hair, crows feet and a terrible fashion sense. Josh cleared his throat awkwardly and thrust out his hand.

"Dean Lewis, good morning. Wonderful to see you again."

The Dean took his hand firmly and gave it a shake, then ushered him into his large office.

"Good morning, Professor. Please, have a seat."

Josh took a seat in the uncomfortable chairs normally reserved for students, while Dean Lewis took his spot behind his desk. He steepled his fingers in front of his chin and observed Josh carefully, but Josh had stepped into character and stared back at the Dean with what he had hoped was a curious expression. It came off as impassive, which worked fine in his favor, and the Dean sat up in his chair, folding his hands on top of his desk.

"Professor, do you know why I called you here this morning?"

Josh tried to relax into his chair. He leaned back and crossed his legs, placing his right hand on his knee while the other rested thoughtfully in front of his chin.

"No, sir, I do not. Though I hope we can get through this quickly? My brother is in town, and I'm due to meet him for lunch at twelve-thirty."

Congratulating himself on his quick thinking, Josh watched the Dean carefully to see how he would react. Turns out he reacted well. He quickly brushed his hand through the air in front of his face.

"Won't take long at all, Professor. I'm sure we'll have you out of here in less than half an hour."

Josh was relieved that this meeting seemed like it was taking a turn into the inconsequential and routine. Hope bloomed in his chest that they could possibly still get out of this, and he smiled happily.

"Excellent. So what was so important that you had to call me down here on a Saturday?"

The Dean hesitated and Josh knew this was it. He was going to tell him and he had to be prepared.

"Well, a former student has emailed quite a few faculty members lately, accusing you of several policy violations. I wanted to bring this to your attention so we could clear it up and hopefully dismiss it as soon as possible."

Now Josh played the expression of shock and hurt.

"Policy violations? Such as what?"

The Dean cleared his throat.

"For starters, this student claims that you have harassed them several times, and that you are having an affair with one of your female students."

Josh scoffed and pretended to find the who thing preposterous.

"Outrageous. Why would I do such a thing and jeopardize my whole career? I know the Universities policies and I follow them to a tee. Who is this student?"

The Dean shook his head and put on his reading glasses, opening up a folder in front of him.

"I cannot tell you the student's name due to confidentiality rules, but I can tell you that it's one of your former students who used to work as your TA. But that's all I can stay. This person did however mention that the student you are allegedly having an affair with received her grade in exchange for sexual favors. Do you deny that as well?"

He sputtered angrily, acting as if he were extremely offended by the whole thing.

"Absolutely! I can't believe someone is saying this. I take my job very seriously."

The Dean shrugged, baffled.

"I don't know why someone would make these false allegations against you, Professor, nor why they would go to such lengths to making them known. But as you know, we need to take these reports very seriously on the chance that they may be true. However, we have so far not found any evidence against you, and this is the only complaint we have ever had against you since you've been here. Therefore I believe that we'll be able to dismiss this right after we interview the other student that is accused of being involved."

Josh perked up significantly. He had been expecting them to interview Charlotte, but he still wanted to act curious.

"I completely understand sir. Just out of curiosity, who's the student that is being accused?"

The Dean looked at his folder, then back up at the Professor.

"Ms Charlotte Matthews."

Charlotte and Casey walked through Ikea, looking at their large collection of dining room and breakfast tables. She had immediately been drawn to the cheap folding card tables, but Casey dragged her away from them, muttering something along the lines of 'you'll break it again'. They were looking at a decently priced, black breakfast table, Charlotte's mind on Josh and how the meeting was going, when she happened to look up and see someone who looked just like Owen disappear into the plants section.

She knew she should stay here with Casey, but Casey was distracted by some mirrors, and besides, it was an Ikea. It wasn't like anything could happen to her, she was completely surrounded by people and cameras.

"Hey, Case, I'm gonna go look at those plants, I think I might adopt a palm tree or something."

Casey waved her hand in her direction, but kept her focus on an enormous mirror.

"Sure thing. Want me to come with?"

"No thanks, I'll just be a minute. Find me a table."

Now that Casey had full control of picking out the table, Charlotte knew she would be distracted for a while, trying to find the perfect one. This would give her more than enough time to pursue the Owen-look-a-like. She stepped over by the plants, finding it strangely quiet and empty. It would appear that whomever she saw had moved on to a different section. Confused, she turned around to head back to Casey and bumped right into Owen. He grasped her by the shoulders and held her at arms length.

"Charlie. Woah, hey. Small world, huh?"

Charlotte reminded herself that her and Josh were in a shit ton of trouble right now because of him, and she wrenched herself from his grasp, a look of disgust on her face.

"Let me _go, _Owen. I know what you did."

His features changed immediately from someone who was kind and friendly, to someone who was ruthless and angry. For the first time since meeting Owen, Charlotte was truly afraid and she backed away from him slowly. But he walked towards her, matching her pace.

"Oh really? You don't know _half_ of what I've done, Charlotte. You're so naive and ignorant, you didn't even realize that I was playing you from the beginning."

Charlotte was shocked, but she was running out of space. The wall was just a few feet behind her, but she wanted to keep him talking.

"What do you mean?"

He laughed softly just as she reached the wall and could back up no longer. Owen stepped closer, and stopped just close enough so she couldn't run, but far enough away so as to not rouse suspicion. Not that it mattered, there was no one else in this obscure corner anyway. His arm pressed up against the wall next to her face, blocking her one escape route.

"You should have listened to that Professor when he warned you about me. But to my surprise, you didn't. You kept seeking my friendship regardless. He threw me off by having you stay at his place when I broke into your apartment though, and you weren't there. It completely ruined all the fun I had planned for us."

Charlotte felt nauseated as anger boiling in her veins.

"That was _you_?!"

"Damn right it was me. I was surprised when you were stupid enough to come back, but I decided it was better to bide my time and wait you out. Imagine my luck when you practically threw yourself at me that night at the bar. You got completely hammered, and you never even saw me drug your drink. Then it was even more perfect when you invited me over, and I had my chance to finally get what I wanted."

Charlotte felt nausea roiling in her stomach, and she clenched it tightly to keep from throwing up.

"But that damned Professor showed up and forced me to leave. He, of course, knew who I really was and wasn't taking any chances. He showed up at my door not a week later and blackmailed me into leaving. I didn't have a choice then, but you better believe that I'm taking you and him down with me. So in a way, I still win."

Charlotte needed to get out of there, but she wanted to know more.

"But...everything you told me, with Alex-"

Owen slammed his hand hard against the wall, making her flinch.

"Alex was a prude little cunt. That bitch refused to put out to me too, just like you Charlotte. But I knew that if I twisted the story around right, that you would eat up every word of that cock and bull story, and you would be sympathetic. It still didn't get you to sleep with me, but it certainly made you like me more. I'm a patient man when I want to be. And now here we are, in this nice quiet corner. How many people will grow suspicious if I take you somewhere with me?"

He had adopted a sardonic smile on his face, which made him look insane. Charlotte shivered, fear coating her veins and could stand it no longer; she pulled her arm back and smacked him right across the face, hard.

"Bitch!" He yelled. But she used the moment of distraction to dip under his arm and run back to Casey, who had been examining a table that was much to large for Charlotte's apartment.

"Hey Charlie, you're back. Did you find a palm?"

She nodded.

"Something like that. Let's go."

Casey looked confused.

"What? Charlotte, is everything ok?"

Charlotte looked back towards the plants, and saw Owen emerging, a large red mark covering the right side of his face. He was searching for her frantically, and suddenly he saw her standing by the tables with Casey. He started towards her but was blocked by a wave of people coming through with carts full of stuff. He was searching desperately for a way through, and Charlotte didn't want to stick around to see if he found it.

"Yup. Everything's fine. C'mon, right now."

She shrugged as Charlotte dragged her out of the Ikea without a table, which disappointed Casey immensely. As Casey drove them to the next nearest furniture store, Charlotte explained her encounter with Owen. Casey was a great listener; she didn't say anything the whole time, but the moment Charlotte finished, she jumped right into the conversation, not bothering to sugar coat anything.

"Charlotte. What the fuck were you thinking? If you know that he's dangerous, why would you approach him at all? For fucks sake, he could've walked off with you under his arm and no one would've known any better!"

Charlotte rolled her eyes at the ceiling, but Casey was right. It was a stupid thing to do, confronting Owen, but she felt the need to get him back for what he did to Josh, and she told her so.

"To be honest though, I didn't know he was _that_ fucked up. I knew he had issues, but I had no idea that he was stalking me from the beginning, or that he broke into my apartment. Or drugged me."

Casey swerved to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes.

"He did _what?_"

Cars were flying past them on the road, a few were even blaring their horns at Casey for flying off the road so fast, but she paid them no attention. Her blue eyes were completely focused on Charlotte's, and they were practically dripping with anger.

"He broke into my apartment, and then the night I was out with him, he apparently drugged my drink. I never knew until now, though it does explain why I wasn't able to fight him off."

Casey stared at her in shocked silence, then back at the road, and then back at her.

"You have to tell Josh."

Charlotte was about to protest that it would only make Josh more upset, but then she stopped and realized that _not_ telling him would be an even worse idea. She sat back in her seat and closed her eyes wearily.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I do." She sighed, defeated. "I'll tell him tonight. Let's go buy a fucking table though before I scream."

Casey put the car into gear and pulled back onto the road, catching up to traffic quickly. For a while, it was silent, both the girls mulling over the events of the day. Then Casey quietly made a suggestion.

"Can we go to _Ethan Allen_?"

Sighing, Charlotte rolled her eyes at her friend and gave up.

"Yeah, fine. Whatever. Josh is paying for it anyway."

Casey smiled successfully.

"Hmm. You'll see, I'll pick out the _best_ table, one that you can have sex on and still won't break."


	20. Chapter 20

Six-hundred dollars later, Casey and Charlotte were sitting at her new breakfast table. After browsing all of emEthan Allen's/em dining tables and after countless times of telling Casey that 'No, we can't spend $1600 on a fashionable piece of wood', Charlotte had settled for a small, square table that was just a touch bigger than her old one. Casey had also wanted to splurge on a pair of $400 dollar chairs, but Charlotte nixed that idea real quick, and instead they picked up a much cheaper set at Walmart. Now they sat at the table, discussing all sorts of things over tea.

They had just breached the topic of their plans for the week when Charlotte's phone began to ring happily from the kitchen counter. She got up and saw that it was Josh who was calling her. She wasn't exactly ready to tell him about her run-in with Owen, and thankfully, she didn't have to. He wanted her to come over to his place so they could talk about the meeting in private. Charlotte glanced at Casey, then turned away.

"What about Casey, though? She's my guest, I feel bad leaving her alone."

Casey, who had apparently been eavesdropping, gave a casual wave into the air.

"Forget about me! I'll be fine. I'll stay here and watch TV. Go see your man!"

Charlotte rolled her eyes and Josh snorted into the phone.

"I heard that. See? She said she'll be fine on her own. Now, will you please come over here as soon as possible?" He pleaded.

Charlotte's mouth had become a very thin line. She wasn't the type to just ditch her best friend, but she understood that there were things to discuss with Josh, and she preferred to not do that in front of anyone, let alone Casey.

"Fine. I'll call a cab and I'll be there in less than twenty minutes."

"I'll drive you," Casey and Josh said at the same time. Charlotte rolled her eyes again and gaped at Casey, who was now lounging on the couch comfortably. Shaking her head, she covered the mouthpiece of her cell and looked at Casey pointedly.

"It's fine. Let him drive me, we need to talk anyway."

Thankfully, Casey shrugged and she agreed to letting Josh pick up Charlotte in just a few minutes. Charlotte hung up her phone and went to wait on the porch alone. It was barely five o'clock, but the sun was already starting to set and a sharp breeze was picking up, causing her to shiver uncontrollably. She hated the cold; always had. But at the same time, it had a refreshing feeling that helped her to clear her mind. After waiting outside for five minutes, Josh finally pulled up. He was driving his Audi and Charlotte tried desperately to catch her breath. She didn't know if it was the car or the driver that caused her breathlessness, but either way she didn't care. Both were gorgeous and sexy in her book.

She slid into the passenger seat and took a glance at Josh, expecting him to look worn out and frustrated. Instead, she was surprised to see that he seemed hopeful and happy, which totally threw her off guard. This changed everything. It would appear that the meeting had gone better than he had hoped, and she didn't want to ruin his good mood with her news about Owen. She decided to focus on him while they made their way to his apartment.

"How'd it go?" She asked.

Josh gave her a small smile but focused on the road.

"It went...well I would say. Much better than I expected. Dean Lewis informed me that, so far, they had zero hard evidence against us, and it seems like the whole problem will be dismissed if we play our cards right. Personally, I think this calls for a bit of a celebration."

He glanced back at Charlotte, this time giving her a much more suggestive smile. Charlotte tried to return his enthusiasm, but ended up falling short, which Josh noticed.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

Charlotte shook her head and turned to look out the window. They had just pulled into the parking garage, and she wanted to wait until they were up in the apartment before ruining his mood. But Josh obviously didn't want to wait.

"Charlotte. I can tell when you're keeping something from me. You really aren't that good at it. Now, tell me. What's wrong?"

Sighing, she turned back to look at him. She may as well tell him now.

"I saw Owen earlier."

Josh's eyes darkened and he set his jaw.

"What? Where?"

"When Casey and I were at Ikea."

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"And?" He snapped.

"And what?"

"And what happened? Something happened, or you wouldn't be so nervous right now."

Charlotte had begun to ring her hands in her lap and she averted her eyes from Josh. Since when did he get so good at reading her?

"Well, he...said some things to me."

"He talked to you?"

She nodded and continued.

"He told me that he had been playing me from the beginning, that he was the one that broke into my apartment, and that he had drugged me the night I went out with him."

The nausea was returning again and she felt dizzy. Josh was practically radiating anger, though whether it was because of her or Owen she wasn't sure. Either way, she became increasingly nervous.

"Wait. First, what do you mean by 'he was the one that broke in'? You never told me that your apartment was broken into. And secondly, he _drugged_ you? Charlotte, why aren't you talking to the police right now instead of me?"

"Because it was weeks ago. The police can't do anything about it now. Besides, you said yourself that he's leaving town, right? What do I have to worry about? He's just an ass that was trying to upset me. And yes, my apartment was broken into while I was staying with you. But nothing was missing, so I didn't realize it was a break-in at the time. I simply thought that I had left my door ajar by accident. I was lucky that you insisted I stay with you, otherwise..."

She trailed off and chanced a glance at Josh, who was pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"I'm gonna kill that bastard," he said quietly.

Charlotte was shocked. She had never seen Josh this angry, and she wasn't expecting to find herself just as angry. She surprised herself by almost telling Josh that he better kill him, but stopped the words before they slipped out of her mouth. Instead, she took a very deep breath and placed a hand on his lap.

"Josh-"

But Josh had whipped out has phone and had already called someone. He began speaking into it angrily.

"Conner. I want you to access the school's electronic complaint system, and file a formal complaint against Owen Holt under Charlotte's name...yes...yeah, Charlotte Matthews." He paused. "Good. Text me when it's done."

He hung up the phone, Charlotte staring at him open mouthed.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Saving our asses. Come on."

He pushed his door open and stepped out of the car, Charlotte still trying to comprehend what he had just done. The car door opened, and Josh was there, pulling her out of her seat and into his arms. He studied her face, pushing her hair out of her eyes in order to see it better.

"What is it?"

"I just-you couldn't just ask me to go file a complaint? Did Conner absolutely have to do it for me?"

She didn't realize until now exactly how angry she was. Not just at Owen, but at Josh, too. It seemed like he was always doing this; calling all the shots when it came to her life or her safety. She used to appreciate it, now it was getting stifling. Josh was looking at her now, concern etched onto his face.

"Are you angry with me?"

"Disbelief spread across her face.

"Damn right I'm angry!"

She turned away from him and stomped toward the elevator, leaving Josh standing in shock behind her. She angrily pushed the button and waited, with her foot tapping, for the elevator to arrive. Josh had caught up, and was standing in silence beside her, his hands in his pockets. The doors to the elevator opened, and Charlotte stepped in, smacking the button for the sixteenth floor.

They rode in silence, accompanied by awkward elevator music. Occasionally, Charlotte could see Josh turn to her out of the corner of her eye, his mouth open as if he wanted to say something. But then he would change his mind and turn back to the doors. Finally, they opened and Charlotte stepped out. She waited patiently as Josh unlocked the door, but as soon as it was open she made a bee-line towards the guest room.

"Charlotte- where are you going?"

"Leave me alone, Josh!"

She turned to slam the door shut, but he wedged his foot into it, keeping it open.

"Charlotte, come on. What's wrong?"

Charlotte threw her arms into the air and retreated into the bathroom. She started to run the hot water for a shower while Josh hovered by the door, looking confused, yet oddly calm. Charlotte glared in his direction, but began to undress anyway. She could feel his eyes on her the moment her clothes hit the floor, but she didn't stand there for long. Within seconds she was standing under the scalding hot water, relishing the feeling of it running through her hair and down her back. She sighed contentedly and reached for the shampoo, before realizing that there was none. In fact, the shower was completely empty except for her.

She tipped her head back, her eyes closed in frustration. Then the door opened, startling her, and Josh's hand slid in, handing her shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and a pouf. He even remembered to get a razor, which kind of amazed her.

"Thank you." She murmured as she took the items. Through the fogged glass she saw him leaning against the wall, silent and waiting patiently for her. Turning her back to him, she squeezed some body wash onto the pouf and began washing methodically. She finished and was just starting to rinse the pouf when a sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen. She groaned and grabbed at her belly.

"No...fuck!"

Josh had straightened up off the wall and opened the door.

"Charlotte? Are you ok?"

Her eyes were squeezed shut as more cramps wracked her body. She new what was coming, but she was still going to express her frustration at the timing. Mentally, she was smacking herself for forgetting what time of the month it was and for not being prepared.

"I'm fine," she groaned. "It's just my fucking period. Of course it's right on time."

The cramps finally passed. She quickly washed her hair and shaved, then grabbed at the towel she had draped over the door. As soon she was wrapped protectively in it, she stepped out and looked at Josh, who was staring at her.

"What?" She snapped.

He put his hands up defensively and turned towards the door.

"Nothing. I'll...uh, I'll be in the kitchen. There's...stuff under the sink if you need it."

Then he turned and left the bathroom, closing the door gently behind him. Jeez, Charlotte thought. You'd think the guy never encountered a period before. She opened the cabinet and found a single tampon. Sighing, she set it next to the sink and began to dry herself. It would have to do for now. Thankfully, she had no intention on staying long, especially since her period decided to make an appearance. Surely Josh wouldn't want her around anyway, considering that their sexual adventures were now limited.

Wrapping herself back in the towel, she realized that showering may not have been the best idea. She didn't have any clothes here other than her dirty ones, which she was not putting back on. Wait, yes she did. Josh had bought her all those clothes weeks ago, and she left all of them here. Now she just had to find them. Gripping the towel tight, she carefully strode out of the bathroom. She figured that if they were anywhere, they would be in the guest room closet. But when she opened the door, she found it to be just as empty as it had been the first time she had been here. Frowning, she closed the door. There were only so many places they could be, and since the guest room was not looking like one of those places, she found some courage and set off in determination. She would find those damn clothes, hell or high water.

It was cool in the apartment and Charlotte shivered, not surprising considering she was wrapped only in a towel and her hair was still wet. As she approached the kitchen, she peeked shyly around the corner, but found it to be just as empty as the rest of the apartment. She didn't know where Josh was, but she wasn't exactly going to go looking for him in her state. She had little to no patience right now, and she would rather talk things over with him when she was clothed and warm.

She then moved on into his room, thinking he must have put the clothes in here since they weren't anywhere else. She could here water running from Josh's bathroom; he must have taken a leaf out of her book and decided to shower. Shrugging, she moved towards his closet. Opening the door revealed that she was correct, the bags were just sitting on the floor, the clothes still folded perfectly inside them. She dug through them and selected some underwear and jeans, and paired them with one of the more casual tops, a dark gray v-neck.

She made to head back to the guest bedroom, but changed her mind and decided to just get dressed right were she was. Josh was still in the shower, she had her clothes; there was no reason to walk all the way across the apartment just to get dressed in a different room. What was the point? Dropping her towel, she broke the tags off the pale pink lingerie with her teeth and pulled them on. They fit perfectly of course. It made her feel sexy, which somehow managed to improve her mood.

"Those are a nice color on you."

Biting her lip she turned to see Josh standing behind her, a towel wrapped around his hips. He was still wet from his shower, and Charlotte's mood swung again. She had to remind herself that she was on her period, and sex wasn't exactly an option at the moment. Blushing, she turned back around and fumbled with the tags on the jeans. She could feel Josh's eyes raking up and down her body.

"You'll have to thank your personal shopper then. But yeah, I like them, too."

Charlotte stepped into the jeans and pulled on the shirts, then turned back around. Josh's towel was lying neglected on the floor, and she could hear him rummaging around in his closet for some clothes. She tried to control the blush that was now spreading across her neck and chest. Why was she blushing? It's not like they had never had seen each other naked before. But she couldn't stop it, and she ended up having to fan herself when Josh stepped out of his closet. He was shirtless, his jeans slung low around his hips provocatively. He smirked when he saw her and stepped closer, brushing his fingers along her neck.

"This is a lovely color on your skin," he said seductively, and she shivered.

"Josh..." She started, a warning tone in her voice.

He picked up on her tone and dropped his hand, but smiled regardless.

"Charlotte, what are you worried about?"

She squirmed under his gaze and twisted her hands in front of her.

"I'm not really 'worried' about anything. I'm just a little preoccupied at the moment. Also, I'm trying to figure out how exactly I'm getting home. Casey won't answer my texts and I think she's fallen asleep."

A look of confusion spread across Josh's face as he turned and picked up a t-shirt.

"Home? But you just got here. Why would you be going home?"

She shrugged, looking anywhere but his eyes.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm on my period, we can't have sex. Why would you want me here?"

A look of hurt passed over his face as he placed his hands on Charlotte's shoulders and passed them down her arms. It was a comforting gesture.

"Charlotte. Why would you even think that? You're more to me than just sex. I would hope that you would know that by now."

Charlotte felt pleasantly surprised and more than a little embarrassed, but she felt relief at his words. She finally raised her eyes to his, a small smile spreading across her lips.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I just get...a little insecure sometimes I guess. I still can't believe that you're with me."

Josh chuckled a little and cupped her face in his hands, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. The kiss spread warmth through her body, and she found herself instantly feeling better.

"But I am with you. And I plan to be for a long time." He tucked a stray hair behind her ear, then paused and studied her face. "You weren't seriously planning on leaving, were you?"

Charlotte blushed lightly and turned away from him, staring at the ground shyly.

"Well...yeah, I guess. But it doesn't matter now. Casey won't answer her phone. I have a feeling she found the rest of our wine from the other night. She's probably passed out in front of the television."

Josh laughed, but there was little humor in it, and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Do you want to leave?"

She swung her face back to his. He was looking directly at her now, his expression wary and hurtful. She quickly reached out to reassure him.

"No. I did, but I don't now. It's just mood swings, Josh. I'm over it. Though we will need to make a run to the store. I found your supply of feminine products to be seriously lacking."

She smiled at him and was relieved when he smiled back at her.

"That can be arranged. Are you ok for tonight? Or do we need to go now?"

Charlotte turned and looked at the clock. It was getting pretty late, but one tampon wasn't going to be enough for the whole night. Besides, she had yet to eat dinner and she found herself suddenly very hungry.

"We're going to have to go out. But I haven't eaten yet. Should we grab a bite while we're out? Then we can come back here, I'm sure Casey will be alright for one night."

Josh smiled at her enthusiastically.

"That sounds really good, actually. Let me just grab my coat and my keys. I know a great pizza joint that we can go to. They have a huge fireplace there and everything, it'll be perfect for a cold night like this."

Charlotte made a face at his back before following him out into the hall.

"You go to pizza parlors?"

The keys and his coat were still hanging by the door, and he pulled it on as he looked at her quizzically.

"Yeah. I love pizza. Why?"

She snorted as she shrugged on her own coat.

"No reason. You just seem too...pretentious for pizza."

Josh scoffed as he held the door open for her. They stood in the hall waiting for the elevator to arrive as Josh defended himself.

"Ha! Pretentious? Me? No one is too pretentious for pizza."

Charlotte simply rolled her eyes as the doors opened to the elevator. Her mood had improved considerably in such a short time, and now they were going to get pizza, which definitely aided in lifting her spirits.

Gino's pizza parlor was very close to Josh's apartment building, and Charlotte figured they would have walked there if the weather wasn't so terrible. As it would have it, the weather was downright yucky at this point; blowing wind and chilling rain that urged Charlotte to turn around and crawl into bed. But she was hungry. Not to mention she needed to visit a store before returning to Josh's.

They were seated in front of a large fireplace, which looked to Charlotte like it may have been a pizza oven at one point. Josh had chosen their table; he claimed that it was the best seat in the house, which Charlotte eagerly agreed. It was warm and homey over here, the smell of baking pizza made stronger by the heat of the fire. After they placed their order (four cheese pizza with bacon and pineapple), they began talking, simply enjoying each others company. Josh had just finished telling Charlotte about his optimism concerning the school and his meeting with the dean, when his smile suddenly slid off his face as he stared at the door behind Charlotte.

"Josh? What's wrong?"

He met her eyes, his laced with alarm.

"Excuse yourself to the bathroom. Now."

Charlotte stood slowly, but looked at him with confusion.

"What-?"

"Hurry! Just go. And don't come back until I text you."

Charlotte clamped her mouth shut and quickly walked past him, heading towards the ladies room at the back of the restaurant. Josh's sudden alarm scared her, and she didn't dare turn around to see who or what had caused him to act that way. She pushed the door to the bathroom open, and ushered herself inside.

Meanwhile, Josh tried to compose himself into a calm and carefree demeanor as he quickly pulled out his phone, sending an urgent text to Conner. He sipped his drink, hoping that Dean Lewis would just seat himself somewhere on the other side of the restaurant without noticing him by the fire, but of course, as with everything in his life, he didn't have that kind of luck. The Dean gave a loud exclamation and made his way over to the table, just as Charlotte disappeared around the corner behind him.

"Professor! How wonderful to see you again so soon! Not dining alone I see. Who's the lucky lady?"

Josh floundered for a response as Dean Lewis gestured at Charlotte's purse and empty place setting. At the same time, his phone vibrated in his pocket, signaling a response from Conner.

"Ah. That would be my...sister-in-law. I believe I said before that my brother was in town? He's meeting us here. Should be here at any minute."

The Dean's face broke into an enthusiastic smile that didn't spread to Josh. He instead managed a tight smile as he nodded towards the dean.

"How wonderful! I do remember you mentioning a visit from you brother. I hope he's enjoying the city! So, where is Mrs. Hutcherson? I would love to make her acquaintance."

Josh was surprised to find himself angry and frustrated at the suggestion of Charlotte being with anyone else, even if it wasn't real. The Dean was looking around behind Josh, as if he were hiding her behind his chair. His phone vibrated again, and he held up his finger to the dean as he pulled his phone out.

"Oh, that's my brother. Will you excuse me for one moment, sir? I'll just be a second."

The Dean nodded as he answered the phone, remembering that he would need to be very careful about what he said.

"Josh! What's going on? I'm on my way their now, just around the corner actually."

"Oh, you're almost here? Excellent. The pizza hasn't arrived yet, but your emwife/em is in the bathroom. I think her nausea is acting up again."

For a moment, there was nothing but silence on the other end of the line.

"You can't talk right now, can you?"

Josh maintained a relaxed demeanor as he answered.

"Yes. She's been alright up until now."

"Right. I'm parking right now, I'll be there in just a second to save your ass."

"Great! Thanks for calling, Conner."

Conner snorted on the other end as Josh hung up the phone and the Dean continued to stand by awkwardly. Any minute now, Conner would pop in to save Josh from having to lie directly to his boss's face more than he wanted to.

"Sorry about that, sir. So, are you dining in tonight?"

He was trying desperately to change the subject away from Charlotte, but he wasn't having much luck.

"No, I'm actually just picking up a pizza for me and the Missus. Nights like these, she prefers to stay in. I couldn't help but over-hear...your sister-in-law isn't feeling well? I hope she's alright. I remember when my wife was pregnant for the first time; she was nauseous constantly, it seemed. Stressful time for her. I hope your brother's wife isn't having too hard a time with it."

Josh gaped at the Dean and at the newest developments in the conversation. He had no idea how to explain that away, and thankfully he didn't have to. Conner chose that exact moment to show up, striding up to the table very quickly, as if her were late for dinner.

"Josh! So sorry I'm late. Michelle still in the bathroom?"

The Dean turned and looked at Conner excitedly and extended his hand towards him. Josh glared at him for using their mother's name as Charlotte's alias. Conner shrugged and took the Dean's hand.

"Ah, Mr. Hutcherson, I presume? I'm James Lewis, Dean of Psychology at NYU. I was just discussing your wife's condition with your brother. I do hope she's doing alright?"

Conner's eyes quickly darted to Josh's, then back to the Dean as he improvised. Josh was desperately making a rocking motion with his arms behind the Dean.

"Her condition? Oh, right, you mean the baby!"

Josh breathed a sigh of relief that Conner understood the reference, and he continued speaking to the Dean, playing his part of the doting husband perfectly.

"Yes, well, it is our first pregnancy. She's just had a hard time with the morning sickness lately, but the doctor says that's all normal and will pass soon enough."

Dean Lewis was nodding at him, a sympathetic smile on his face.

"It's a rough time, Mr. Hutcherson, a rough time indeed. I hope that she improves with time, though."

Thankfully at that moment, the Dean's order was called. He turned back towards Josh, shaking his hand and then Conner's.

"Well, that's my order. I better get it back home before my wife has my head for dawdling. It was wonderful to meet you, Mr. Hutcherson. Please give my regards to your wife, I'm sorry that I wasn't able to meet her. Professor, I'll be seeing you around school."

With a kind smile, the Dean headed back to the front of the restaurant to collect his food, then exited out the front door within a few minutes. Josh sagged in his chair and sent a quick text to Charlotte as Conner took the spare seat next to Josh, a look of astonishment on his face.

"Would you care to explain that?"

Josh opened his mouth to explain just as Charlotte took her seat again.

"What the hell was that about? Oh. Hi Conner."

Conner nodded in Charlotte's direction, then they both swung their eyes to Josh.

"That was my boss. Dean Lewis."

Charlotte's hand flew to her mouth, but Conner just stared at Josh.

"I know that. The man introduced himself to me. But what's the big deal?"

Josh stared back at Conner.

"Because, he happens to be the one that is investigating Charlotte and I? The one whom I told not six hours earlier that I wasn't in a relationship with my student, and then he just happens to show up at the restaurant where I am eating dinner with her. See the problem?"

Conner's arms were folded across his chest as he glanced between Josh and Charlotte.

"Yeah, I see the problem."

Charlotte had come out of her shock by that point, and was gripping the table edge tightly.  
"Oh my god, Josh! Did he see me?"

He shook his head slowly at her as she slouched in her chair, relief covering her face.

"No, he didn't. I told him you were Conner's wife, and that you weren't feeling well."

Conner was leering at Charlotte now and waggling his eyebrows playfully.

"Yeah, you're my wife now. And you're pregnant."

"I'm what?"

Conner laughed at Charlotte's expression while Josh ran a hand over his eyes and through his hair in exhaustion. Their pizza arrived, but he suddenly had lost his appetite. His encounter with the Dean was a close call, too close. Charlotte and Conner seemed to be successfully distracting themselves with the pizza, Conner of course helping himself as they teased each other, but Josh just stared at his drink, thinking things over.

"Josh?"

Charlotte's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. She had a piece of pineapple on her fork, halfway to her mouth, but she was looking at him with concern.

"What?"

She set her fork down.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?"

He started to shake his head, but then thought better of it and served himself a slice of pizza. He couldn't worry too much now, not in front of Charlotte. He forced himself to take a bite. It was good, and his appetite slowly started to make an appearance as he pushed his worries to the back of his mind. No, now was not the time for that. The Dean didn't see her. Everything will be fine, thought as he chewed his pizza. Everything will be fine.

Just before Christmas, I had posted a note on this chapter informing all my readers that I was forced to put my fic on temporary hiatus until I was able to get a new computer. Well good news! My wonderful boyfriend got me a brand new computer for Christmas, and I am now able to continue writing Academic or Otherwise. This means that the hiatus is now lifted, and the new chapter should be up pretty soon. Thanks again for reading!


	21. Chapter 21

"Baby."

She groaned and rolled over, pulling the sheets closer to her chin.

"Baby, your phone."

Charlotte's eyes cracked open and was greeted by bright sunlight, streaming through the sheer curtains. It was then that she noticed a faint buzzing sound coming from somewhere near her head.

"Please answer it, this is the third time it's gone off." Josh mumbled from beside her.

Charlotte grabbed at the area that the sound was coming from until she finally grabbed her phone, then sat up and answered it.

"Hello?" She said, trying not to sound too groggy.

"Good Morning Ms. Matthews, this is Kathleen calling from Dean Lewis' office. I hope I didn't wake you up."

A shock of energy shot through her as she registered the official sounding voice on the other end and she quickly cleared her throat.

"Oh, hi Kathleen. I mean, good morning. No, you didn't wake me up. What can I do for you?"

Charlotte imagined a model looking blonde sitting at a polished desk in a high end office as she searched for the clock in Josh's room. She finally found it and noted that it read nine thirty as she hopped out of bed and began searching for her clothes.

"Wonderful. Well Ms. Matthews, we were hoping you would be available today to meet with the Dean."

She had one leg in her jeans as she stopped and fell into a chair behind her. Josh looked at her in confusion, but she ignored him.

"A meeting? Today? I'm sorry, but what is this about?"

In reality, she knew exactly what it was about, but she was going to feign ignorance for as long as possible. She heard the receptionist typing away on a keyboard in the background as she apparently tried to figure out what the meeting was actually for.

"I'm sorry, there isn't an exact reason available to me, but there is a note on here that says it is very important. Can you be here by ten?"

Remembering that she was all the way across the city and not on campus, she told her no.

"Sorry, but I'm actually across town at a friend's and it'll take me longer to get there. Could we do eleven?"

There was more clicking as Kathleen typed away.

"Yes, it looks like eleven will do nicely."

"Oh good. Um. Do I need to bring anything?"

"Nope, just yourself and you're student ID. Thank you Ms. Matthews, we'll see you at eleven."

There was a click followed by silence, and Charlotte set her phone down on the chair, half in her jeans and half out of them. She slumped back into her chair and stared at the ceiling, willing eleven to never come, but she knew it would and she would have to go. She closed her eyes and started counting backwards in an attempt to calm her racing heart.

"Charlotte?"

Her eye's snapped back open to find Josh standing over her, managing to look amused and concerned at the same time. She didn't know how he did it, but he managed to still look sexy while doing it. The view didn't improve her mood though.

"It's the Dean. He wants to see me in less than two hours."

Josh quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Really? Well that'll be a short meeting."

Charlotte pulled her jeans on the rest of the way and stood up, her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, maybe. But the whole thing will seem like forever because I'll be stressed out within an inch of my life." She said sarcastically.

She walked passed Josh, who looked like he was suppressing a smile, and into the bathroom. This was just what she needed. A meeting with the Dean to deny her relationship with her Professor, all while said Professor was probably going to be waiting for her back at his place. And she was on her period. Great.

Sighing, she made her way way into the kitchen, where she found Josh completely dressed and sipping a coffee while reading off his tablet. She immediately grabbed a mug and poured herself some coffee. Adding minute amounts of cream and sugar, she sat on the stool next to Josh and glanced at his screen. It looked like an email, but she didn't get long to look because Josh chose that moment to lock the screen and set the tablet down.

"How are you getting to the school?" He asked.

Charlotte took a particularly large gulp of coffee and swallowed hard, making a face in the process.

"Aren't you driving me?"

Josh looked at her thoughtfully for a moment.

"Well, I could. But it may be a bad idea for you to be dropped off to a meeting about a policy violation by your professor."

She grimaced but agreed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's hope that Casey isn't hungover, I guess she's driving me."

Josh smiled wanly at her and stood up. He walked towards her slowly, then took the mug from her hands and placed it on the counter behind her. Then he pulled her into an embrace.

"You know I would happily drive you if I could."

Charlotte nodded. She knew he was right, but she still wished that he could take her. She was less antsy around him, and she knew that his presence would calm her down immensely. Sighing, she picked up her coffee mug and drained what was left, then placed it in the sink. It was already ten after, and she had put it off long enough; it was time to wake up Casey. If Charlotte knew her friend, and she felt that she did, Casey would be knocked out on the couch with an empty wine bottle on the floor. The phone rang four times before it was finally answered by a scratchy voice on the other end.

"Hello?" Casey said. She sounded like death, but at least she was awake.

"Casey? It's Charlotte."

"Yeah," she muttered.

Charlotte sighed, blowing some stray hair out of her eyes.

"I need a ride."

The weather wasn't much better than it was the day before. In fact, it might have been worse. Icy sheets of rain pounded the windshield of Casey's car as she drove Charlotte to the school. Traffic was backed up from the weather, and her wipers were on full swing as they slowly inched closer to campus.

"Ugh!" Casey slammed her hand against the horn as a green Honda cut her off. "How do you deal with this traffic?"

Charlotte shrugged as she settled back in her seat. It was barely past ten thirty, and they weren't far from the school, but the state of traffic was making her nervous. This was not a meeting she wanted to be late for.

"I don't ever have to deal with it. If Josh isn't driving me somewhere, then I'm usually walking." Their line crept forward another few feet before coming to a halt, and Casey pursed her lips.

"Speaking of Josh, did he tell you what the deal was with this meeting? What are you supposed to say?"

She nodded.

"He told me to be hurt by any accusation of having an affair, but to bring up Owen as someone who has it out for us-I mean me. Besides, I want to make Owen's life as difficult for him as he's made mine. It's not like I need any motivation."

Casey nodded darkly as traffic began to move again, this time creeping up towards a quicker pace. Finally they were moving again. Charlotte released a breath she didn't even know she was holding.

"Nervous?"

She swallowed hard as they passed the sign for NYU.

"A little," she lied. She was dreadfully nervous. "I would feel better if Josh were able to ride with us."

Casey looked at her sympathetically as she pulled to the curb and put the car in park.

"I know." She sighed and grabbed her friend's hand. "Listen, you got this. Josh said they don't have anything on you, and I believe him. The school is on your side too, just go with it and everything will be fine."

Charlotte nodded.

"Right. I got this." She looked at Casey. "Thanks for the ride. I don't know how long I'll be, so you may want to just head back to the condo. I can walk there from here, it's not far."

Casey looked at the rain pounding on the windshield.

"In this weather? I don't think so. I'll be waiting just across the street in the parking lot. Just text me when you're done and I'll pull around and get you."

Charlotte rolled her eyes but conceded, knowing that Casey had a point.

"Alright. Wish me luck."

"Good luck."

Charlotte pushed the door open and sprinted into the school, trying to stay as dry as possible. She didn't fair to bad, and she made her way to the Dean's office. Even though she walked there, she was constantly working to catch her breath, and she had to remind herself to calm down. She didn't want to appear nervous or scared; on the contrary she simply wanted to appear cool and maybe a little curious.

Before she rounded the last corner, she pressed herself against the wall and took a deep breath, giving herself a little mental pep-talk. Casey and Josh were right, what was there to be afraid of? All the school was doing was looking into a complaint, which they had to do legally. That's all. It didn't mean that they were going to kick her out.

Feeling slightly more calm and confident, she stepped around the corner and made her last stretch down the hall towards the Dean's office. She had slipped on her mask of curiosity and confusion and was prepared to check in at the receptionist's desk when the door to the office opened, startling her. She turned to see who it was and her mask slipped as Owen stepped out of the Dean's office, a look of smug victory on his face.

Of course he saw Charlotte. He looked right at her as he strode confidently past her and down the hall. He didn't speak to her, nor did he look back before he rounded the corner. The look on his face was burned into her eyes, and now she was shaking uncontrollably, all the plans that she had for this meeting were no longer in her mind. They were gone. The first thought she had was to quickly text Josh and find out what to do. But before she could pull out her phone, the receptionist had looked up from her computer and noticed her.

"Are you Ms. Matthews?"

Charlotte turned around to face the desk and forced herself to close her mouth. Her jaw had still been hanging open in shock.

"I-yes. Charlotte Matthews."

It turns out the receptionist _was_ blonde, and she nodded as she typed away on her computer.

"Very good. Please have a seat and the Dean will be right with you."

Charlotte nodded blankly and slowly ambled her way towards a seat. Oh, what to do, what to do? Josh couldn't help her now, she would have to do this on her own. Just stick to the plan. At the very least though, she had to let him know Owen was here, but she was too paranoid to contact him directly. She settled on texting Casey, who could then get a hold of Josh and tell him.

_**Charlie:**__ Owen just left the Dean's office before me. _

_**Casey: **__What?! That bastard! Are you ok?_

_**Charlie: **__Fine, I guess. You gotta tell Josh. I gotta go though. Text you after. _

She shut her phone and set it to vibrate, then placed it in her purse. She didn't want to be caught on her phone when the Dean called her in, it just seemed unprofessional. Sitting and waiting was the worst part. She got antsy, wondering what he was doing, and what Owen had told him. Not to mention why Owen looked so happy. That couldn't mean anything good.

"Ms. Matthews?"

Charlotte bit particularly hard through her lip and she tasted blood. She didn't even realize she had been chewing on it until the receptionist called her.

"Yes?"

"You can go in. The Dean will see you now."

Her heart rate increased significantly as she nodded and walked towards the dark mahogany door. She turned the brass handle and stepped into the large office. It was bigger than Josh's by quite a bit; there were three large floor-to-ceiling windows on one side, rain pounding against them, with several large bookshelves along the opposite wall. Against the third wall, between the windows and the books, sat the Dean at a very large cherry wood desk. It seemed to be covered with files and paperwork, but the Dean paid no attention to any of it. He had stood up as Charlotte approached and extended his hand to her, which Charlotte took gingerly. They shook hands, and he gestured for her to sit, which she did.

"Ms. Matthews, thank you for meeting me on such short notice. I trust you know why you're here?"

Charlotte gulped but managed to find her small ball of confidence.

"It's really no trouble at all, sir. But no, I can't say I know the reason for my visit."

The Dean shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and Charlotte braced herself. This was it.

"Certain problems have recently come to my attention, Ms. Matthews. Certain problems concerning you. Tell me, what is your relationship with Professor Hutcherson?"

_Jeez,_ she thought. _He cuts right to the chase._

"I'm sorry sir, I don't know exactly what you mean. Professor Hutcherson is only a professor to me, albeit a very good professor. In fact I'd have to say he's probably the best Psychology professor I've ever had. Why do you ask? Has something happened to him?"

The Dean shook his head and leaned forward, folding his hands carefully on the desk.

"No, nothing has happened to the Professor. However, there have been recent complaints that you and Professor Hutcherson engaged in an inappropriate relationship in exchange for your grade in his class."

Charlotte's jaw dropped.

"Excuse me? That's outrageous. I would never-! Who is saying these things? I earned my grade in that class the same way everyone else did: by nothing more or less than hard work!" Charlotte could feel her face turning red, and in a way, she was glad she saw Owen before this meeting. It helped her to channel her anger more efficiently. "It was Owen, wasn't it?" She said quietly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Owen Holt. I filed a complaint against him the other day for harassment. It was him that reported me, wasn't it? He was in Professor Hutcherson's class with me, and I refused to go out with him. Then he began to harass me and I finally had to report him. Now he's done this for revenge. Oh, I knew should have reported him sooner."

Charlotte sat back in her chair, emotionally exhausted. She was on a roll, thankful for all that time she spent doing theater in high school. The Dean appeared shocked at her emotional outburst, yet sympathetic.

"I can't tell you who reported you, Ms. Matthews, but I have to say that if Mr. Holt is harassing you, we take all complaints of harassment very seriously and we will be looking into your complaint against him. However, your explanation still doesn't explain the pictures."

Charlotte paled.

"Pictures? What pictures?"

The Dean had pulled out a manila envelope and took a small stack of pictures from it. The pictures showed Josh helping the movers take boxes into her new condo, and Charlotte was in a few of them too. Their faces were clear in both of them, there was no denying that it was them. Thankfully, there were only a few of them, and they showed nothing more than her and Josh carrying boxes. So this is what Owen had up his sleeve.

"Can you explain these, Ms. Matthews?"

Charlotte thought quickly as she pushed each picture aside, looking at them carefully.

"Yes, I can," She said. "This is kind of embarrassing...after the Professor found out that Owen was harassing me, he encouraged me to report it, but I was too scared to do so yet. However, he learned that I lived alone and was moving on account of Owen knowing where I lived.

"I don't have any friends or family in the area, Dean Lewis, and after learning that, the Professor offered to help me move and I accepted. I felt better having someone with me that I could trust. I'm sorry if I overstepped the line, but if this is the only evidence someone has against me and is using this to say I had an affair, then they are very much delusional."

The Dean stared at her. Charlotte couldn't tell if he believed her or not, but at the very least she believed herself. Her story explained the pictures, yet still put her in the light of the innocent victim who simply made a small mistake while looking for safety. The Dean sighed and shuffled the pictures in front of him, then slipped them back into the envelope.

"Be that as it may, Ms. Matthews, we still received the complaint long before your move, and now these pictures reinforce that complaint. These could be perceived as evidence to an affair instead of a simple good deed to some people, so until we find out more on this matter, I'm going to have to suspend your grade in Professor Hutcherson's class and place you on academic probation."


	22. Chapter 22

That's how quickly everything went to shit. Charlotte's consciousness slipped for a moment, she was that shocked. The only sound in the office was the rain pounding the windows, and Charlotte had to take a deep breath to steady herself.

"I-I don't understand. What?"

Clearing his throat, the Dean sat back in his chair. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Mathews, but until we know more, that is what needs to happen. This matter has become much more serious than I anticipated, and it needs to be looked into deeper."

"But-my grade. I can't graduate without that class."

The Dean nodded sadly.

"Don't worry too much, Ms. Matthews. As soon as we clear you and the Professor we can have you reinstated in no time. The whole process should take less than a month."

Again, Charlotte's vision tunneled and she gripped the arms of her chair. _A month? _The new semester started in a week. She would miss the first three weeks of classes, which mean she wouldn't be able to attend that semester. That would put her off track; she wouldn't graduate on time.

"Now unless there was something else you needed to discuss with me, you are dismissed. You'll be hearing from Kathleen in a few weeks to make a follow up appointment."

Charlotte nodded slowly as she mechanically stood from her chair.

"Ms. Matthews? Are you alright?"

She nodded again and managed to meet his eyes as she held out her hand.

"Yes. I'm quite alright. Thank you, Dean Lewis. Have a good day."

She shook his hand limply then turned and walked to the door, willing herself not to run. Once she rounded the corner and was out of sight, though, that's exactly what she did do: run. She ran down the hall and straight out the back door, away from the school. She knew Casey was waiting out front for her, but she couldn't face her or Josh yet; she couldn't see the disappointment on their faces as she told them that they weren't in the clear.

The rain hit her like icicles and instantly soaked her clothes as she slowed to a stop and let it drench her. It was freezing but she didn't care, it cleared her head and she started her slow trek home. The condo was slightly further from her old apartment, but it was a prettier walk. It took her through the park where all the leaves had turned and were almost all on the ground. The wet leaves stuck to her shoes as she walked, but the few that remained on the trees lessened the rain, making it a little warmer.

The weather reminded her of the first time she had really spoken to Josh. She had insisted on walking home in the rain, and he had found her and demanded that she get in his car so he could give her a ride home. The memory made her smile a little; but there would be no black car pulling up to the curb this time. Josh didn't know she was walking home, let alone where she was, and she planned to keep it that way for now.

She pushed her way through the last of the trees and back into the icy sheets of rain. Her condo was just across this last bit of the park, she could see it from here. It would take her less than a few minutes to reach it, then she planned to shower and crawl into bed. She would have to call Josh and Casey eventually. _I wonder how long Casey will wait before realizing I'm not coming?_ She thought. She felt guilty, leaving her best friend there. But she needed some alone time. Casey would understand.

The rain wasn't getting any lighter and she was starting to freeze. She jogged the last few feet to her condo, quickly climbing up the stairs and digging out her keys. Once the door was unlocked, she pushed her way inside and slipped off her shoes and socks, which were soaking. Not wanting to get the carpet all wet, she stripped right at the door, leaving her clothes in a pile on the tile, then quickly ran upstairs to her bedroom.

One of the things Charlotte had already liked best about her condo was that it had one of those endless hot water tanks. Once she turned the water on, it heated to boiling temperatures within minutes, and she slipped into the water, vowing never to leave. It was perfect in here; hot, steamy, relaxing. If she hadn't been so eager to get under the hot water, she would have lit some candles and drawn a bath. But the water relaxed her just as well as any bath, and she closed her eyes, humming as the hot water poured over her head and down her back, temporarily washing away the worry and shock that had set in since the school.

Of course it was too good to last.

"Charlotte?"

She jumped a little, grabbing onto the curtain to catch her balance.

"Josh?" She sputtered.

How did he find her so fast? The curtain pulled back and there he was, all dark and handsome. Charlotte even whimpered a little and cursed her period. He looked perfect. He had on a dark shirt and a black leather jacket that was spattered with raindrops. His hair was even damp, as if he had ran right through the rain and straight up to her shower, which Charlotte guessed was entirely possible. She wasn't ready for his expression, though; he looked pissed.

"Where the _hell_ were you? First I get a text from Casey saying that Owen was at the school, then I get _another_ text from her telling me that she lost you. We've been looking for over an hour! Do you have any idea how worried I've been? And why don't you answer your damn phone?"

_Shit,_ Charlotte thought. Had it really been that long? She opened her mouth to explain, then closed it again, changing her mind. For a second, the only sound was the water spraying against the tile.

"I'm sorry," Charlotte said. "I just-I needed some time alone. To think."

Josh's eyes softened, then he quickly kicked off his shoes and started to strip off his jacket.

"What are you doing?"

He slowed for a moment as he hung the jacket on the door, then looked up at her as he pulled his shirt over his head. He was perfect, and Charlotte's breath hitched as his hands went to the belt of his jeans, slowly undoing it as he kept his eyes locked to Charlotte.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting in with you."

He slid the belt from the loops then undid his jeans, quickly pulling them down with his boxer briefs. Then he was stepping in with her, and Charlotte shuffled over to make room for him. Josh adjusted the water to be a little warmer, then he grabbed the pouf off the wall and squirted some body wash onto it.

"Come here," he said.

Charlotte creeped closer to him until she was only inches away. Their bodies were so close to touching, and Charlotte could feel the charge between them. She caught Josh's eyes as they wandered up and down her body, then he quirked an eyebrow at her and made a little twirling motion with his index finger.

"Turn around."

She did, her back now to him, and he started rubbing the pouf around her back, washing her gently. The gesture was so unexpected and thoughtful that Charlotte suddenly found herself smiling, her sullenness and worry nearly forgotten. He washed slowly down her back, then reached around and washed across her belly and over her breasts. Her breathing increased, and she could feel his erection pressing against her ass. His hand reached up and brushed her wet hair away from ear, placing his lips against it.

"You really worried me this afternoon, Charlotte."

He continued to rub the pouf over her arms and down her sides, then over her ass and legs. Then he rinsed it and hung it up, grabbing her shampoo. He squirted some into his hands then began to rub it into her hair. Charlotte closed her eyes and sighed as his fingers massaged the soap into her scalp, scrubbing thoroughly and easing her into relaxation. Josh then moved over to let the hot water shower over her and rinse the suds from her hair.

"What happened, Charlotte?"

The water was hot, but that didn't stop the chills that shivered down her spine as she thought about what Josh was asking, and what she needed to tell him. But not yet. Right now, there was a bubble around them, and the issues with the school weren't going to pop that bubble and return them to reality. Not yet.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said quietly. "Not now."

She could tell that he didn't want to wait, that he wanted to talk about it. But she turned around and softly pushed her lips against his, silencing him. Period be damned.

"Josh. Please, not now. There's only one thing I need right now."

He looked at her quizzically.

"What's that?"

"Take my mind off things. Make love to me."

He hesitated, then his lips curled into a soft smile as he gripped her shoulders, running his hands down her arms. Josh pulled her closer into an embrace and slowly trailed kisses down her neck.

"Of course baby."

Their mouths met again, Josh pushing his tongue into Charlotte's mouth, and under the hot water they fell into abandon.

The bubble had popped.

The white robe that Charlotte was wrapped in wasn't enough to keep the chill off her skin. She was sitting on the couch, snuggled under Josh's arm as she relayed the results of the meeting to him and Casey. Josh had been strangely quiet during her story, and when she got to the part about the pictures, Casey gasped and Josh sprung up from the couch, pacing in front of them.

"Pictures. That fuck had pictures of us?"

Charlotte sighed.

"Yes, but they didn't show much. Just you helping me move. I made up some story about you being concerned for my safety, purely from a professor's standpoint."

Josh ran his hands through his hair and over his face. There was a thin layer of stubble that had begun to sprout there. He looked exhausted.

"This is not good. No matter what you told the Dean, he'll really be looking into us now. And I mean every detail."

"What do you mean, 'every detail'? There's not much more he can look into, other than Owen's ridiculous claims. It's not like I have friends that he can interrogate or racy emails that he can pull off your computer. Right?"

He pursed his lips and placed his hands on his hips as he stopped pacing.

"Right Josh?"

"He won't have access to those things exactly, no."

Charlotte's brows knit together in concern.

"Not those things exactly? What does that mean?"

"Well, the school does have security cameras. If they look carefully, they may find a thing or two."

"Like what?"

Josh looked at her pointedly, then Charlotte suddenly remembered. There were plenty of times that she went with Josh into his office, or that they walked out of the school together. Not to mention right before they started seeing each other, she had shown up early to class and Josh had flirtatiously cornered her. The cameras didn't record sound, she knew that. And good thing, too. If they had, then they'd really be screwed. She could see Josh's point now. Combined with the pictures, anyone who looked at the cameras would see that there was a deeper relationship between them, other than professor and student.

"Shit. What do we do?"

He crossed his arms across his chest and walked slowly over to the patio door, glancing out at the dark sky. The rain had finally stopped, but it was still windy and stormy out. Casey had moved from her spot to sit next to Charlotte, and appeared to be deep in thought. For a while, nobody spoke. The silence was pressing on Charlotte's ears and she was about to speak up when Josh turned away from the window. He came back and took Casey's seat; his elbows rested on his knees and his fingers folded in front of his mouth.

"Right, things are going to have to change. We're going to have to start taking precautions, because they will be watching us. Especially me. Charlotte, I'm sorry, but we're not going to be able to visit each other for a while. I don't think they'll go as far as to follow me after school, but when the Dean of the college catches wind of this...well, I don't want to take any chances. Stay here with Casey. I need to go and get a hold of Conner. Maybe he can do something about that security footage."

He stood again and walked towards the door, pulling on his coat. Charlotte was still trying to process everything he just said. She quickly stood up and dashed after him before he could step out the door. She reached him and went to pull him towards her. But when she saw his expression, she stopped. His face was set and his eyes were cold. He looked angry, but at the same time, emotionless. She had never seen him like this and it threw her off. Taking a step back, she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and looked at him.

"Um, can we still talk over the phone?"

Josh hesitated with his hand on the door knob. His mouth was set into a fine line. He looked so irritated that Charlotte began to feel uneasy. He almost seemed mad at her. But he couldn't be. None of this was her fault. Was it? Maybe he was mad at her. If she had just listened to Josh about Owen to begin with, none of this would have happened. Guilt washed over her as Josh sighed.

"Yes, occasionally. But we have to be careful. Don't call me off your phone. If you need to talk to me, text Conner and he'll get a message to me, then I'll contact you when I'm available. Alright?"

She nodded and he pulled open the door.

"I'll call you later tonight to let you know what's going on. In the meantime, stay here with Casey. I don't want you going out in case that self-righteous fuck is still prowling around."

He paused and Charlotte could feel his eyes on her, even though her's were still fixed on the ground. Suddenly he was pulling her into him, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and placing kisses into her hair. Charlotte felt tears threatening to spill over onto her cheeks, but she refused to cry. Not now. She loved Josh, but he was right. They would have to be apart for a little while, at least until this all blew over. She survived two years of schooling without him or anyone else, she could handle a few weeks, too. He pulled away slowly and placed another kiss on her forehead before opening the door.

"I love you."

Charlotte nodded and tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

"I love you, too." She whispered.

Then he was gone.

Casey was still sitting quietly on the couch, trying to give Josh and Charlotte some space. But now that Josh was gone, she had crept into the entryway to comfort her best friend. She knew that Charlotte was on the verge of breaking down, and she wanted to be there for her when it happened. She didn't say anything when she moved to stand next to her. Instead, she carefully hooked her arm around Charlotte's waist and pulled her back to the couch, were they sat together, each of them tucked into a corner.

"I think this is the end," Charlotte said quietly.

Casey immediately gasped, then slid closer to her friend.

"Charlotte, no! Josh loves you, and love like that doesn't come around every day. Don't give up so easily, it'll all work out. I promise."

Charlotte sniffed and looked at her hands folded in her lap.

"I don't doubt that he loves me. But this whole thing with the school...Casey, he'll lose his job. I'll be kicked out. And then what? We run away together? That's not practical, nor could I do that to Josh. I have to do something...I just don't know what yet."

She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and started worrying at it while thinking intently. Josh hated it when she did that, but Josh wasn't here, and right now seemed like the perfect time to worry.

"Charlie...I just don't even know what to say. I know it seems like you're really stuck, but I really feel like Josh will find a way, and-"

"He won't, Casey! There's no point in trying to hope myself out of a hopeless situation! I understand you're concerned, but can you please just stop trying to get my hopes up?"

She jumped up from the couch and bolted up the stairs, leaving Casey shocked behind her. Her and Casey had never really fought before, and Charlotte immediately regretted snapping at her. She was just trying to help after all. She would make it up to her later. Right now, she just needed to be alone.

The bedroom door slammed shut behind her and she sat on the edge of her bed, defeated. Josh's watch was still on the bedside table, and Charlotte picked it up, examining it and feeling its weight in her palm. She couldn't let him lose his job, not over her. He loved his job, it was how he lived. This was something that she could recover from though. Eventually.

The watch slipped over her small hand, dangling on her wrist. Even though it was much to large for her, the weight was comforting, and she folded the clasp into place. The band was just the right size to keep it from completely sliding over her hand and onto the floor. She watched as the second hand ticked around the black face, ticking off the time she had remaining.

Charlotte knew what she had to do.


	23. Chapter 23

Throughout her life, there was only ever one thing that Charlotte wanted more than anything. More than her dream car or her dream job. More than to live next door to her best friend or to travel the world. While Charlotte wanted all of those things, there was one thing she wanted more: a family. She had grown up as an only child, and from a young age she fed the desire to grow up and have a large family of her own. She had it all planned out: she would one day meet the perfect guy, whom of course came from the perfect family, and he would sweep her off her feet. They would date, for a while, then one day he would ask her that question, and they would begin their lives together.

For a while, Charlotte was convinced that she had finally found that man. She was nearly finished with her schooling, and she was at a good age to settle down and start thinking about a family. When she first stepped into Joshua Hutcherson's psychology class, she admired how smart he was, but she was also a little intimidated. He seemed short tempered and unhappy. But then, everything changed and she was falling head over heels for him. She saw a whole other side to him. He was sweet, attentive, and very talented.

Next thing she knew, she found herself imagining a future with him. Little did she know, but Josh had also been thinking similarly. He had never met someone quite like Charlotte; nor had he ever been able to spend so much time with a woman before without getting bored. He felt like this was a sign; maybe it was time to settle down.

But then the university broke all of that apart.

Now, Charlotte was creeping down the stairs, very early on a Tuesday morning, careful not to wake Casey who was snoring on the couch. She managed to skip the last step, which was creaky, and land quietly on the floor without waking her. Then she slipped towards the door and pushed her feet into her shoes, pulling on her jacket as she went. She placed her hand on the knob, fully intending to leave, when she remembered the last time she disappeared on Casey.

Quickly and quietly, she stole into the kitchen and hastily scribbled a note, leaving it by the coffee machine where she knew Casey would find it. The note wasn't honest, but at least it would keep Casey from worrying and calling Josh. Satisfied, Charlotte opened the door and stepped out onto her porch, careful to close the door silently behind her.

She breathed in the cool morning air, and saw her breath cloud out before her when she exhaled. The sun was just beginning to creep up over the tree tops. Charlotte hoped that it would quickly melt the thin layer of frost that covered everything last night. Even though it was pretty how it glittered in the sunshine, Charlotte hated winter and all things that led up to winter, including frost.

Charlotte took deep breaths as she crossed the park, making her way toward the school. She had tossed and turned all night, contemplating the numerous ways they could get out of this alive. But there was only one that would work. Even though it scared her, she knew it had to be done, so she was going to do it. It would save them from the fire of the university, and it would save their reputations. It wasn't going to be easy, but the hardest choice was usually the right one. Still, she had to make an effort to keep herself from a hyperventilating as she got closer to the school.

The wind from yesterdays storm had blown all the leaves off the trees, and now they stood in the park, completely barren. The leaves piled onto the path through the park, covered in a sheen of frost but wet underneath. Charlotte was thankful that she had the sense to dress appropriately for her walk; she had donned some boots and her skinny jeans, topped with a soft pink sweater and her coat. She also put on one of her knit hats, which were more for winter, but it had looked cute with her outfit, and she had decided that looking cute and innocent would definitely be good for what she was about to do.

Finally, the university loomed before her, and determination set into her veins. It was warm inside the school, and she made her way to the dean's office much quicker than she anticipated. There was no blonde behind the desk this time; instead a young girl with shoulder length ginger hair sat in front of the computer, typing away excitedly at her computer. When she noticed Charlotte, she looked up eagerly.

"Can I help you?"

Charlotte cleared her throat.

"Yes, I was wondering if I could step in to see Dean Lewis? It's urgent."

The girl frowned and tacked away at the keys, her long manicured nails clicking on them as she typed.

"I'm sorry, but he's actually in a meeting now. You're welcome to wait if you'd like, I can't imagine he'll be too much longer. What is the meeting regarding?"

Charlotte floundered, trying to figure out how to explain to this girl what she needed to speak to the dean about. She couldn't exactly tell her that she was under academic probation for sleeping with her professor.

"Uh...well, it's...um."

The girl looked at her expectantly, her hands hovering over the keyboard.

"Ms. Matthews?"

Charlotte turned and saw the dean striding out of his office. A young man, perhaps another student, followed him out of the office and waited next to Charlotte so he could sign out with the receptionist.

"Dean Lewis! I..I was just coming to see you, sir."

She averted her eyes, hoping that the dean wouldn't see the lies she was about to tell him.

"Of course. Julianne, when's my next appointment?"

The keys clicked again as Julianne hastened to pull up his schedule.

"Not until nine sir, with Professor Hutcherson."

The dean nodded as shivers ran down Charlotte's spine.

"Ah, yes. Alright then. Right this way, Ms. Matthews."

Charlotte was ushered into his office as if she had no clue where to go, which kind of pissed her off. But she said nothing, and instead sat obediently in the chair in front of his desk.

"Welcome back, Ms. Matthews, it's good to see you again. However, I must say I'm at a disadvantage. I'm not sure what this meeting is about."

Charlotte nodded and tucked her hair behind her ears. Her hands were clasped in her lap, in hopes that they would stop shaking.

"I'm sorry for barging in her so early, but I really needed to confess something to you, and it simply couldn't wait."

"Not at all Ms. Matthews. What do you mean, you need to confess something?"

Charlotte took a deep breath. There was no going back after she spoke, but it needed to be done.

"Professor Hutcherson and I...well, there's really no easy way to say this. I'm rather embarrassed by my actions."

The dean nodded for her to continue.

"Professor Hutcherson never came onto me, sir. I came onto him. I had mistaken his kindness for attraction, so one day, late in the semester I came onto him. He of course turned me down, but I was still infatuated with him and continued my advances. Just before the end of the semester, he told me that he would need to report my behavior to the university, and I panicked. I begged him not to, and I promised that I would back off. He seemed hesitant to believe me, but he agreed and gave me one last chance, which I have not ruined. After he helped me move, I kept my distance. I swear that my grade was still a result of hard work and nothing more. Owen must have seen me come onto the professor one day. I refused to go out with him because I was very attached to the professor at the time. He must've decided to report me after that, for revenge."

Silence stretched between them and Charlotte felt herself blushing furiously. It seemed like hours before the dean cleared his throat and spoke.

"I appreciate you coming forward in this matter, Ms. Matthews. I understand that it's a hard thing to do, but it really does make the whole thing much easier. Is there anyway you can put this in writing for us to put on file?"

Charlotte nodded and reached into her bag.

"I already have a copy ready for you, sir."

She handed the paper to the dean, who stared at it in shock. Charlotte imagined that he was surprised at the turn this whole fiasco had taken.

"Very well, Ms. Matthews. Is there anything else?"

Charlotte gripped her knees and turned her widened eyes up to him.

"I was wondering what my punishment would be. I still broke the university's policy. Am I going to be expelled?"

The dean thought hard for a moment, which made Charlotte more nervous.

"No, I don't think you need to be expelled. You seem to have learned through your mistakes, and I don't think you'll be making them again. However, we will need someone to look over all your assignments in Professor Hutcherson's class to ensure that you earned your grade honestly, and then we can allow you to finish out your education at NYU if your grade was not given to you. Otherwise, you may need to retake the course."

Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief, then asked another question.

"I was wondering...would it be possible to complete the rest of my degree online?"

The dean turned towards his computer quizzically and brought up Charlotte's schedule. If she were right, then she only needed two more semesters at NYU before she could graduate.

"Well, you only have six more classes before you can apply for graduation. Looking here, it looks like all of them should be available to take online. Could I ask why you would like to make the switch?"

"I-" she began. "I just no longer feel comfortable attending classes in person. I would like to finish out my degree without any additional...distractions."

The dean nodded sagely and began typing something into his computer.

"Very well, Ms. Matthews. I will make the necessary arrangements, and we should be able to start you with the online classes this semester. You are aware that the online classes begin a full week later than the regular classes?"

Charlotte sagged with relief.

"Yes, I am. Thank you, Dean Lewis. I really appreciate your help and understanding."

"Yes, well. This isn't the first time this has happened with Professor Hutcherson. Being as young as he is, he has a student come onto him at least once a year."

This piqued Charlotte's interest. Josh had never mentioned any thing of the sort to her, and she immediately thought to ask him later. But then she remembered: she wouldn't be seeing him later. His past was no longer her concern.

"I see. Well thank you for meeting with me, Dean Lewis. I appreciate you helping me to work through this."

The dean smiled warmly and stood with her, shaking her hand.

"Of course, Ms. Matthews. I'm happy to help. Let me know if you ever change your mind about the online courses, we can always switch you back."

Charlotte returned his smile then turned to leave. It felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, but was instead replaced by a different weight, this time on her heart. She didn't know how or when she would explain to Josh that they had to stop seeing each other. Only that she had to.

She started walking back the way she came, deep in thought, not really paying attention to where she was going. Eventually, she looked up and found herself in an unfamiliar part of the school. Most of the lights were off in the rooms, except one, which had its door ajar. She slowly walked up to it and crept inside, curiosity getting the better of her.

It was a science lab, the kind with counters and sinks. The room was empty except for a tall man dressed in a blue jumpsuit in the front of the room, cleaning some sort of equation from the dry erase board. She turned to leave, but accidentally bumped into one of the tables, causing several of the beakers on top of it to rattle precariously. The man turned in surprise, but when he saw Charlotte, his face softened and he turned back to his work.

"Sorry miss. But the lab's closed for today."

Charlotte paused and nodded.

"Right. Sorry. I just got lost and...well, I'll just be going."

She turned to leave, but the man spoke up again. He had finished cleaning the board and had turned to look at her.

"Lost? Are you a student here?"

"I am. But I've never been to this wing before."

The janitor's blue eyes crinkled in understanding as he wheeled his cart to the door.

"Well, where you tryin' to go? I bet I can get you back to where you belong."

Charlotte flushed a little, embarrassed that she had managed to get herself lost to begin with. But since he was offering to help, she smiled and thanked him.

"Is the psychology department close to here? I can find my way back from there no problem."

The janitor nodded and gestured for her to follow him.

"It is. Right this way, miss...?"

"Charlotte."

"Alright Charlotte, I'm Joe. We'll get you back there in just a jiff."

As they walked, Charlotte found herself practically unloading on Joe, without all the juicy details. There was something calming and reassuring about him. In a way, he reminded her of a favorite uncle or an older brother, someone that she could talk to about anything. He was a great listener; he let her talk and nodded as she told him about the predicament she was in with her "boyfriend". Before she knew it, Charlotte was beginning to recognize her surroundings. They were back in the psychology department, and she was no longer lost. They paused at a fork in the hallway, preparing to go their separate ways.

"Thank you for showing me back. I'm sorry I kind of ranted to you the whole way. I guess I really just needed someone to talk to."

Joe smiled kindly at her.

"Of course Miss Charlotte. I'm happy to help."

Charlotte gave a little wave and turned to leave, but hadn't gone far before Joe spoke to her again.

"Do you love him?"

She turned back to him and thought about it, then raised her chin a little.

"I do."

Joe cracked another smile and nodded knowingly.

"Then you'll find a way to make it work._ Where there is love, there is life._" He quoted.

"That's a wonderful quote. Who said it?"

"Ghandi. Good luck to you, Miss Charlotte."

Joe turned his cart and began walking down the opposite hall, leaving Charlotte there to ponder what he said to her. She was never the type of person to think that the people she met were completely by chance, but that the people she met were there to help her grow and mature. Maybe Joe was right, maybe she shouldn't give up on Josh so easily.

A door slammed shut behind her, startling her. She turned around and nearly had a coronary. Josh was there, locking up his office door. She didn't realize that she was standing so close to his door. He hadn't noticed her yet, and Charlotte debated leaving before he saw her. But before she could, he did exactly that. He turned and saw her, a look of surprise crossing his face.

"Charlotte?"

She flushed and looked at the floor, guilt washing over her.

"Charlotte, what are you doing here?"

She hadn't planned on seeing him yet, she wasn't ready. But here he was, she had to be ready now.

"Hello Professor," she squeaked.

Josh's eyes narrowed in her direction and he quickly looked at his watch, then began to unlock the door.

"Inside. Quickly, before someone sees you."

Charlotte glanced behind her before sliding into his office, followed by Josh who closed and locked the door behind her.

"What are you doing here? I thought I was clear about needing to stay clear of one another for a while."

He sounded anxious, and Charlotte wondered why. Then she glanced at the clock and saw that it was eight thirty. She remembered the dean's receptionist that morning, saying that he was meeting with Josh at nine. No wonder he was nervous.

"I wasn't here to see you. I just had some business to take care of and I happened to run into you. You should get going, though. You don't want to be late for your meeting."

Josh looked confused as he followed her gaze to the clock.

"My meeting? How did you-?"

"I saw the dean this morning, Josh."

Silence stretched between them for a moment.

"The dean? I don't understand. What for?"

Charlotte took a deep breath and began to explain.

"I needed to save us, and there was only one way to do that. You were ready, Josh. You were so ready to just throw away your career. And for what? For me? No. I couldn't let that happen. So I went to the dean this morning and I told him that it was all me from the beginning. I'm the one that came onto you. I'm the one that had a crush on my professor and that you turned me down countless times until you had no choice to report me. I told him that I begged you to give me another chance, and that I've behaved ever since. So it's over now. They just need to review your class to make sure I earned my grade, and then I'll be allowed to graduate."

Josh stared at her in shocked silence, his jaw was clenched and she could see his veins sticking out in his throat.

"But that's not all of it, is it?" He said angrily. "What else, Charlotte?"

Charlotte swallowed past the lump in her throat.

"I'm...I'm leaving. I'm leaving New York and I'm finishing my classes online. We can't keep doing this, Josh. There will never be a time that we won't have to be dodging around and hiding from the university. You can't throw your whole career away just for me. It isn't practical, and I need to just let you go."

She ended sharply, her eyes closed. Her voice had lowered an octave to a dead tone, as if she were issuing her own death warrant. When she opened her eyes, Josh swam before her through the tears that had threatened to spill over onto her cheeks. Josh had developed a dead look in his eyes, but she could tell he was ready to snap. Suddenly, he did. He grabbed a small glass paper weight from his desk and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall and exploded, causing Charlotte to jump and yelp. He turned away from her and leaned on the window sill, staring out of it.

"Josh, I...I love-"

"Don't. Don't even say it. Just...just go."

His voice was hard, yet it wavered a little at the end. She was shocked. Even though she knew she needed to leave him, knew that it would be best for both of them, she still thought that he would put up more of a fight than this. He never seemed like the type to just give up, but now he was. The tears had spilled over now, streaming down her cheeks and dripping off her chin.

Reluctantly, she stood and walked towards the door, turning to look at him once more before leaving. He was still leaning against the windowsill, and she could see the muscles underneath his sweater which were tight with tension. That was her fault. She did this to him, and she hated herself for it. Without a second glance, she turned and left him.

Charlotte didn't take her time getting home this time. She ran. She ran so hard that her chest ached and her breath came out in heavy spurts. By the time she reached her condo, she was clutching at a stitch in her side and gasping for air. She paused for a minute by her steps and dried her eyes of the tears that had been falling since she left the university. Casey couldn't see her this torn up, although being her best friend, she was bound to notice something. Once her breathing was back to normal, she climbed the steps and opened the door, stepping inside quietly, unsure if Casey was awake or asleep.

Surprisingly enough, she was awake and sitting at Charlotte's breakfast table, sipping at a cup of coffee. When she saw Charlotte, she pursed her lips and waved her note in the air.

"'Gone for a walk', huh? Charlie, I'm not dumb. There's only one thing you hate more than mornings, and that's the cold. Not only did you write this at some point before 8:30 when I woke up, I also happen to know that it's a bit more than brisk out there today. So where did you go? And what on earth did you do? Because I know it wasn't walking."

Charlotte sighed and closed her eyes, reaching up with her hand to rub her forehead. Shit. The tears were coming again and it didn't go unnoticed by Casey.

"Oh no." Casey had stood up and came to Charlotte's side, slowly guiding her to the open chair at the table. "Sit down, I'll make you a coffee. Tell me everything."

Charlotte sat and drew a deep shuddering breath, managing to keep herself under control. But when Casey set the coffee in front of her, she burst into tears. She felt an incredible weight on her chest, and she knew it was coming from her heart. Casey silently handed her a napkin while Charlotte cried for a minute. Finally, she was able to catch her breath long enough to explain things to Casey. The whole explanation took a good ten minutes, Charlotte pausing every now and then to catch her breath or blow her nose.

"I left him," she finished. "I went and left him. And he was heartbroken. I could see it in his eyes, I could practically feel it when I walked out of his office. But when will he see that I'm doing it for _him_? We can't keep doing this. It's no way to have a relationship. He needs to be with someone he doesn't have to hide."

Casey nodded sadly.

"I see. I know how much you love him, Charlie. And I know this is absolutely tearing you to pieces. But sometimes I wish you weren't so selfless. This is killing _both_ of you. I've never seen another man look at you like Josh does, not even Rem."

"Rem was a douche."

"Yes, he was. And still is, matter of fact. But he did love you at a time. Regardless though, Josh looks at you with the most loving intensity that I've ever seen. I really feel like you should give him some time, let him decide how to handle this. Don't throw something this good away, Charlie."

Charlotte appreciated her words and knew that she was right, but she shook her head anyway.

"I can't, Case. He can't be with me _and _keep his job. Not until well after I graduate, which won't be for another eight months at least. And then, even if he did manage to stay away from me that long, he would come under suspicion for dating me immediately afterward. There's just no easy way around it."

Casey stared off into the distance, clearly in thought.

"Well, I still think it's dumb. But you're gonna do what's good for you Charles and I can't stop you." Charlotte smiled fondly at the childhood nickname that Casey had given her when they were six. "So, what are you going to do now?"

Charlotte sighed and sat back in her chair. Her coffee had gone untouched and was beginning to grow cold.

"I need to leave. Get away from here for a while. The school has me all set up for online classes, and I can't stay here. Not while Josh is still teaching and I'm still with the school. We wouldn't be able to stay away from each other."

"You're going away? What about the condo?"

"Josh has a key and had it paid it off immediately after I moved in. I do need to come back eventually though, if only for graduation. No, I'll just lock it up and leave it here. That way I'll have some where to stay when I come back. If I don't want it after I graduate, I can always sell it."

"Where will you go? Home?"

Now it was Charlotte's turn to be deep in thought.

"No...I was thinking somewhere a bit warmer."

When Charlotte had contacted her Aunt Lottie, her namesake, in South Carolina, she had been out of her mind with stress. Her Aunt on the other hand, was now out of her mind with excitement that her darling niece was finally coming to visit. Dear Aunt Lottie was her mother's sister, and Charlotte's favorite Aunt. However, due to school and pride, she had not visited her in ages. Aunt Lottie was more than well off, and she had offered numerous times to pay for a plane ticket down, but Charlotte had always refused. Now, she grudgingly asked if her Aunt was still offering. Of course, she was.

It had been two days since she had seen the Dean and two days since she had last seen Josh. He had not tried to contact her or Casey in any way. In fact, it seemed to Charlotte as if he had completely given up on her and moved on, which didn't make her feel any better about their separation. She had almost called him a few times since their meeting in his office, but she had stopped herself every time.

Now, the day of her departure, she was carefully folding a piece of paper and sliding it into an envelope. On the reverse side, she had written _To Josh _in her nicest hand writing. She was all packed and ready to go, and as she looked over at her one suitcase, she realized she wasn't taking much. Just her clothes and toiletries, her school books and her laptop. Aunt Lottie would have anything else that she needed, and Charlotte had always liked to travel light. Everything else in the apartment Josh had bought for her, and she felt like she held no claim to any of it.

Standing from her desk, she carefully held the envelope in one hand and her bag in the other, and made her way down to the living room where Casey was waiting to take her to the airport. Casey was standing by the door, waiting anxiously for Charlotte so she could catch her 1:30 flight from LaGuardia.

"C'mon, Charlie! It's eleven already, and security will be a bitch!"

Charlotte smiled at her friend and set her bag down by the door.

"Alright Casey, I'm coming. Let me just have one last look around, ok? Can you take this to the car? I'll only be a minute, I promise."

Casey rolled her eyes and grabbed the bag indignantly.

"Fine. It better only be a minute or I'm coming after you."

Charlotte nodded, knowing that she was being completely serious. Once Casey shut the door behind her, she turned and took one last look around the condo that she had spent so little time in. But the time she did spend here, she spent with Josh, and it was hard for her to look around without pulling up happy memories. The breakfast table, the couch, the stairs...all of it held ghosts of memories past. Smiling sadly and trying desperately not to cry, she strode forward and placed the envelope on the breakfast table, where she knew Josh would find it. Next to it, she set the wrist watch that he had forgotten there. Then, before she changed her mind about taking the watch with her, she turned and darted toward the door, pulling it locked behind her.

The whole way to the airport, Charlotte couldn't think of anything but the letter, and the words that she had written, which she knew Josh (or Conner) would find in a matter of days in the empty condo. She wish she could have written how much she still loved him, and how she wanted him to wait for her, that she would be back soon. But she couldn't tie him down. He wasn't her's, she needed him to move on. She stared out the window as Casey sped through traffic, trying desperately to get her friend there on time.

Back at the condo, Josh was knocking furiously on the door, hoping to God that Charlotte was still inside and coming to answer it any second. He had no idea of the words that waited for him in the envelope on the table:

_Dearest Josh,_

_If you are reading this, I am already gone. I am going to stay with my Aunt until graduation, and I will be completing the remainder of my classes online. This is the best for both of us; it'll allow me to focus on my schooling and for you to keep your job, and hopefully move on from me. _

_I have never in my life loved someone as completely as I loved you. It killed me to break up with you, and it kills me now even more to leave. But you can't keep me and your job, and I can't ask you to choose. I desperately hope that you understand and that you don't hate me. If you do, then I can't blame you for hating the woman who broke your heart._

_The condo is yours to do with what you will. I have left behind the spare key, though I would ask that you keep it open to me until after graduation. If not, then I completely understand. Please understand that it would be easier for us if you do not try to contact me. I wish you the absolute best, and cannot express how much I hate myself for doing this. _

_Best of luck,_

_Charlotte _


End file.
